Yo Ho Cowabunga, Dudes!
by Reinbeauchaser
Summary: The turtles, whisked away to a paradox of an adventure on the high seas, meet up with an unlikely trio of buccaneers. Character death. A TMNT and POTC crossover story.
1. Prologue: Trapped!

_**Disclaimer - **Well, this story has been percolating on the backburner of my mind for a while, now; maybe for a couple of years. I've been wrestling with writer's block on another story, so I thought I could try and get rid of it by creating a new one. _

_Yeah, right._

_Anyway, this one is rather complicated and complex, but I wanted to get the prologue up before the movie came out. I haven't a clue what it's about - the movie, that is - but just in case it parallels my story (which I highly doubt), I thought I'd give it a shot. _

_As before, I only own the story, not the characters. Whatever OC's I create will not play a major part. Then again, I've been known to change my mind. LOL_

_Oh, and beta'ed by the very talented Cynlee and Askre!_ _Thanks, my friends, I really appreciate it:0)_

**Yo Ho Cowabunga, Dudes! **

_(A TMNT & Pirates of the Caribbean Crossover Story) _

**Prologue - Trapped **

As far as Jack Sparrow was concerned, there was never a good time for adventure. Adventure, for him was a dance with death at the end of a hangman's noose, a 'dance' he would rather not do, thank-you very much.

Yes, Jack might be a pirate and a good one at that, but adventures that risked life and limb were not necessarily his main entrée for living. Although, his life was fraught with danger, mayhem, and ill-gained goods, to outright try to kill himself? Jack wasn't stupid, that much was certain. And, considering his experience less than a year earlier with the Black Pearl and its cursed crewmembers, he thought he had seen it all, too.

That is, until now.

As he looked around, he knew what had just happened was illogical. It was completely impossible, at least, it should have been. Still, considering how badly it could have gone, Jack realized things could be a whole lot worse.

To get a better view of his surroundings, the pirate raised his makeshift torch, which was nothing more than his own shirt tied tightly around his cutlass and set afire. He had already shrugged off his justaucorps long before finding himself where he was. The arduous trek through the heat and humidity of the jungles proved his knee-length wool coat quite inappropriate for such an oppressing environment. Yet, now, with the fire slowly eating away his shirt, he lamented that maybe it would have been better to suffer from heat exhaustion, just to have one more piece of clothing as fuel.

Then, he had a thought and, with his flint in his other hand, Jack chuckled to himself. The pirate suddenly wondered how long it would be before everyone was butt-naked trying to keep some light on the matter. He glanced over at Liz and wondered if pressed to do so, if she would own up her shirt. Dressed as he and Will were, it made getting around easier for the girl, rather than having to wear the silly dresses and corset of her gender. As it was, Elizabeth's long hair, now free from the pins that had kept it tucked neatly under her hat, and her ample feminine shape, defined her as one very beautiful buccaneer; that is if she decided to turn pirate.

"Such a shame; she'd truly improve the lot, methinks!" Jack mused to himself.

Nevertheless, his more pressing concern for the moment was not in admiring her beauty, but in finding an escape route. From what he could already tell, however, it was going to be tough to do.

As he scanned his immediate vicinity, Jack desperately looked for a way out. His bare, sweaty chest reflected the glow of the burning torch. As its light flickered hungrily, it cast eerie shadows along the rocky wall of the cave. The pirate made a complete turn-about and then glanced upwards, hoping for a chimney of sort, or any kind of an exit, even one that he had to climb to reach. Yet, no matter which direction he looked, wherever they were, it was obvious getting there was becoming a one-way trip. It was quite apparent that finding a way out wasn't going to happen any time soon.

And it needed to be soon, too, for Jack could already tell that the air was bad, probably as old as time itself. No, he knew he needed to find an escape route - and quickly, too!

Glancing over at his two companions, he muttered, "Well, at least we didn't end up in the ocean."

In answer, another male voice added to the pirate's, "Yes, Jack, I'm sure dying of starvation, or even suffocating, is a whole lot better than drowning, but – hey - don't take my word for it," Will said derisively, as he tossed his arms up in frustration, "I haven't done either one before, so what do I know." He snorted in disgust and wrapped a comforting arm around Elizabeth.

The girl shrugged the arm from her shoulder, though, muttering unhappily, "We just had to take it back, didn't we! Can't believe we went there. Of all the stupid…"

Gesturing with his flint hand, while the other hand held his makeshift torch, Jack defended himself, "Ms. Swann, how was I t'know that they don't savvy forgiveness. T'wasn't my fault their witch doctor didn't teach 'em 'bout mercy. I thought they'd be happy t'get their gold back."

"It's cursed gold, remember?" Elizabeth hissed.

Jack chuckled, "Luv, I remember the curse, how could I not? They were kind enough to give us a choice, though, didn't they?"

"Some choice," Will complained as he looked about the cave, "To be part of their sacrificial ceremony or their demented idea of 'living' justice."

"'Living' sounded better, ya have to agree t'that!" Jack shrugged and then added, 'Person'ly, I didn't fancy havin' my heart ripped out and eaten."

"Yeah, well…it did sound rather grizzly." Will nodded in agreement.

Jack glanced at the wall again, "Anyway, I thought they'd be a little more appreciative that we brought it all back to 'em."

"Appreciative? They're barbarians, Jack, what did you expect?" Elizabeth grumbled, folding her arms across her chest as she huffed.

"Gratitude for one," Jack Sparrow muttered. He then studied the rocky wall again, before walking over to it. As he lifted his 'torch' to light up its hard surface, he tentatively rapped his fist against the wall.

"I don't think anybody's home," the woman said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Will snickered as he stood beside her.

"No, but maybe if we knocked hard enough?" the pirate queried. Applying more force behind his next strike, he punched firmly into the stony surface…and, as expected, it didn't budge. What did happen wasn't too unexpected, though.

"Ow, definitely hard rocks, not even a scratch!" Jack brought his fist to mouth, the skin now broken and bleeding along his knuckles.

"Not as hard as your head, apparently," Elizabeth huffed.

"Ha, very funny," Jack sneered at her, before returning his interest to the wall once more.

The girl sighed and then she and Will Turner walked over to join him in inspecting the wall. "Looks like granite, much harder than volcanic rock would be," she mused, "I don't remember seeing any rock like this, at least before we - ended up here."

Will ran a hand over the roughened texture of the wall, "This is pretty solid stuff."

"An' that's the problem," his pirate friend moaned, "I doubt we'll be gettin' out of this one."

Suddenly, Jack noticed his makeshift torch and felt a stab of panic. Not only was his shirt not long for this world, but the flames weren't burning as bright as they were originally. Even though he had wrapped the material tightly around his cutlass to lengthen the burn time, the clothing was still burning far too quickly. He fingered his flint and knew that if the torch died, he could always re-wrap the sword with Will's shirt and light it. Yet, it was paramount that he focused on finding a way out, too, and quickly, otherwise they would all suffocate to death.

Handing his flaming cutlass to Elizabeth, Jack frantically grabbed one of the rocks in the wall with his now-free hand. He wiggled it mightily, trying to dislodge it. When it moved a little bit, he gave a small, excited yip, and increased his work on the rock

The moment they realized that their friend might have found a way out, his two companions joined him with equal fervor. Elizabeth positioned the torch near the wall and, with her other hand, began working on one of the rocks.

It, too, budged a bit!

With Will joining in with the excavation, after a short while, they managed to succeed in removing a few of the rocks. It wasn't much, but it was enough for them to feel a faint breath of air as it seeped into the cave through the exposed cracks. It invigorated their attack on the wall once more and, as Jack breathed in the air, he could taste salt.

"The ocean! I can smell the ocean!" he exclaimed excitedly, his voice rising in pitch, "We're by the coast!"

Excited, now, he and his two friends began feverishly working at removing more of the rocks, their enthusiasm close to hysteria. Breathing became more difficult, though, as they exerted themselves, but they refused to rest. With escape only a few stones away, they didn't dare stop.

Then, just as they loosened yet another stone and added it to the small collection piled along the floor, a sudden deep rumbling caused them to stop their work. All three stood there, stunned, confused, and holding their breath, wondering what in the world was happening. Then, as the ground began to buck and heave beneath their feet, they felt themselves losing their balance. Instinctively, they grabbed on to one another, nervously glancing around, with eyes wide in terror. Still, the ground shook and seemed to get worse. They tried their best not to fall, but it was becoming difficult to avoid. Then, dust and grit from the ceiling rained down on them. In that same moment, a large crack appeared in the rocky wall, the break snaking its way from the base and going straight up towards the ceiling.

More terrified than before, the trio jumped back, concerned that the wall itself might cave in on them, and bury them under tons of rock. The three watched in morbid fascination as the living line grew haphazardly towards the top of the cave, like an erratic, ominous thunderbolt.

And while the fissure grew and the throaty roar of the earth's trembler deepened, they suddenly realized what was going on.

"Earthquake!" three voices chorused.

Instinctively, Jack, Will, and Elizabeth turned from the suddenly disintegrating upper wall and raced towards the opposite side of the cave, fifteen feet away. As they pressed hard against the rocky surface, they turned back to see a rain of rock dislodge suddenly from the ceiling above, right where they had previously been standing. They had moved just in time. They watched with growing dread as the deluge of stones and small boulders piled up just in front of what was probably their one and only exit.

As a choking cloud of dust and grit billowed out from the maelstrom, the threesome turned their backs to the chaotic din and huddled closer to each other. As lung-clogging debris filled the cavern, they clapped hands over faces to keep from suffocating and the trembler seemed to take forever before things finally quieted down again. After a few minutes and as the dust settled enough for them to breathe normally, again, Jack coughed once and turned around. Now, as he looked at where they had just been standing only a moment earlier, he groaned. With a small mountain of rock piled in front of the wall that they had just tried to dismantle and resembling an even more impenetrable barrier, three unsettling truths glared back at Jack Sparrow. It fact, if it had outright laughed in his face, Jack wouldn't have been the least bit surprised.

The first truth was that they had just experienced an earthquake. That wasn't too hard to discern, of course.

The second was half the ceiling had given way, creating an even larger, now impassible challenge between finding their way out of the cave. With the gradually depleting oxygen, they would never be able to dig their way through the piles of granite rock to the wall, before passing out from lack of air.

Thirdly, and this fact seemed to depress Jack even more than the first two, he had lost his flint. In his frantic rush to avoid finding himself buried under falling rock, he had dropped it. Wherever it was, it now lay under tons of granite. Jack's only means to light another torch was now and forever unattainable.

Then, as if adding salt to his wound, the last of the flames around his cutlass flickered and sputtered. However, before Sparrow could strip another bit of clothing from himself for fuel, the fire licked away the last remnant of his shirt. It winked out with a sudden abruptness that caused the pirate to inhale sharply. Pitch black now suddenly engulfed him and the others like a dense, suffocating blanket.

Sighing deeply, his voice loud against the suffering dark, Jack lamented sorely, "Maybe that alter sacrifice would have been better after all?"


	2. Earthquake!

_**Disclaimer **- A great big thanks to Askre and Cynlee, who beta read this chapter. I have included in the story my own way of honoring their efforts, too, with a little bit of a twist, just to keep this story 'legal' with FF. :0) _

_No, I don't own the turtles, Jack, Will, or Elizabeth. I only own this story. Aside from the action-adventure/tragedy theme, this story is also a mystery as well as supernatural. Unfortunately, Fan Fiction only allows for two choices. _

_Many thanks to all who read chapter one and who left a comment in the review window_.

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**Chapter 1 – The Earthquake**

"…_and, Bryon, as I stand here trying to keep dry and vertical, as Jerry my assistant tries to keep an umbrella over me, we are reminded all too well that in just under two hours Hurricane Asker will make its historic landfall in New York City. For the first time in almost seventy years, The Big Apple will experience a storm that Floridians and other southern coastal states are all too familiar with."_

The young woman reporter suddenly cupped her right ear, in which she wore an earpiece radio receiver. As she tried to hear the next question from the newscaster, safely ensconced back in the studio, a shriek of wind drowned out her attempt. Torrents of rain had already soaked most of her clothes, despite her coat and Jerry's attempt to keep her dry with the umbrella, and it seemed any second now both of them would find themselves blown away by the gale. Nevertheless, they held their ground as the newscaster's question finally came through and broadcasted live through the television_, "Syn, didn't the meteorologist mention something about a tsunami-like wave associated with this storm?"_

Nodding, Syn replied, trying to speak louder over the howling wind, "_Yes, Bryon, they're expecting a storm surge. For our viewers' information, a storm surge is a phenomenon that generates huge volumes of water, pushed inland by hurricane force winds swirling around the outer perimeter of the hurricane itself. Meteorologists expect this particular surge to lay claim to coastal areas on Long Island minutes ahead of the main storm and as far inland as Manhattan.. They are expecting swells of twenty-five feet or more, flooding low-lying areas with decimating destruction. The last time New York experienced a hurricane of this magnitude, a similar surge preceded it, having a devastating impact on not just Long Island and the northern coastal areas, but as far north as Rhode Island. As I speak, people there are already preparing for the worst, not wanting a repeat of what happened back in 1938. Nevertheless, Bryon, experts predict record flooding in low-lying areas all along the eastern seaboard, with catastrophic results."_

Another blast of wind buffeted her, interrupting the woman's report. Jerry tightened his hold accordingly. With the umbrella still situated, although precariously, over the reporter, she managed to continue, "_City officials have declared all subway stations on Manhattan Island non-operational. Citizens are encouraged not to seek shelter there or anywhere below ground, but to find safety at higher elevations. For those living along the coastal areas of Long Island, if you have not evacuated, it is highly suggested that you do. It is worth repeating that severe damage **is** expected, with estimated destruction to most east-side structures at eighty to one-hundred percent. The Red Cross has set up emergency shelters at local schools. Check the addresses and phone numbers listed on the ticket tape at the bottom of your screen for the one nearest you."_

The girl on the screen suddenly lost her composure, ducking reactively and turning her back, as a blast of wind and horizontal rain buffeted her, nearly knocking the girl off her feet. Her coat lost its buttons, exposing her drenched slacks and sweater underneath, as her assistant desperately tried to keep hold of the umbrella. However, the fierce wind was too much. Ripped out of Jerry's hands, the umbrella finally flew away, carried along by the tempest. Now, the man latched onto the reporter to keep her from blowing away, too. Still, the rain continued to batter them and - once again facing the camera - a very wet Syn Lee concluded her report, "_As I sign off, the only thing I can do is leave you with a few words of wisdom my grandmother taught me. Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best. This is Syn Lee, live at Seventh and Bleecker, New York City, on the cusp of the storm of the century. Back to you, Bryon!" _

"Man, can you believe this?" Mike exclaimed as he continued watching the news program. The television station began showing the damage the storm had already created as it traveled northwards along the east coast. "Double hurricanes; is that even possible, Donnie?"

"Not common, no," Don replied as he sat beside his brother, equally enthralled, "But this has been an unusually busy season. To have two storms converge at the same time, the way this one is, and in any location - well, it's pretty rare."

They were currently sitting on the old sofa in the lair, along with Raph and Leo, all four watching the televised news report as it played out on the huge television screen in front of them.

"My sons," a voice proclaimed from behind the quartet of mutant turtles.

Twisting around to face his father, Leonardo asked as his brothers looked on, "Yes, Sensei?"

"We need to make sure that if the sewers flood, we have ample time to leave." Splinter then sighed, pointing to the rapid flow of water under the bridge in the lair, "We are at a disadvantage if the water level rises. Even though we are far from the eastern side of Long Island, hurricanes are the severest of storms. Where we live underground and where the news woman just said that flooding is eminent, much can happen that we are not familiar with."

"Right," Don agreed, now standing up and heading for the lair's entrance.

"Hey, do we all have t'go?" Mike asked, his voice pleading. He really didn't want to go out, not when there was a storm brewing. Besides, he much preferred watching the progress of the hurricane from the comfort of the lair. It was exciting, where they rarely had such an experience. Right now, though, it seemed to be the only thing playing, with every channel showing the progress of the storm. In short, it had mesmerized Michelangelo.

"I believe your brother would appreciate the help," Splinter replied sternly.

"Oh...okay, Sensei," and Mike reluctantly stood up and made his way over to where Don waited at the front door.

Raphael slapped Leo on his carapace, "Well, Fearless, looks like we should all go, never know how bad things might get with this storm and all."

"More to the point, Raph," Leo added, "I wouldn't put it past the Foot to see if we get flooded out!"

"Yeah, that, too," Raphael concurred, cracking his knuckles.

"And, Sensei?" Leo turned to his father, "you might as well call April. If we're not back before things start to get bad here... "

"I understand my son. I have already talked with her."

Leo flashed a small smile and then he and Raphael went over to join Don and Mike. Once the four brothers left the lair, Splinter sighed and softly said, "Be safe, my sons."

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An hour later and along an abandoned part of the sewers…

"Man, look at all the _water_!" Mike pointed to the culvert in the middle of the tunnel floor. Dark, dirty water raced through the central trough. The culvert was six feet deep in the middle and normally had just a trickle of run-off. They had purposely chosen this part of the system to live in for the fact that it was rarely even two feet deep - even during the deepest part of the rainy season. Plus, Don had found ways to divert any additional flooding to other tunnels. Now, it seemed those tunnels had begun to flood. The resulting runoff lapped up over the lip of the drainage and spilled liberally along the area where they walked, a tell tale sign that this storm wasn't anything close to normal. It was becoming apparently clear to all four brothers that flooding was going to happen, regardless of how 'water tight' they had made their home.

Don shook his head as he evaluated their situation, "This _is_ way too much water for this part of the sewers."

"You think we might have to go topside, then?" Leonardo wondered anxiously. He stopped, ready to turn back and retrieve their father.

As the other three halted their progress, too, Don replied, "Well, let's see what's further ahead. We can never be too careful where it concerns flooding, but if it's just overflow from another source, I might be able to divert it."

Leo nodded, "Good idea," and resumed his march through the tunnels, with Don, Raph and Mike falling in step behind him. He really didn't want to drag his elderly father out into the storm and if there was a way to keep that from happening, he was all for it.

A short while later as they came around a bend in the tunnel, the sewer system forked north to the left, with another tunnel bearing right, towards the east. The north part was newer, built within the past fifty years or so, and it seemed drier, too, than the eastern side. Still, the right passageway was already filling up, and where the tunnel was much older in age and sloped downwards a little, it meant that it was probably more flooded than it looked.

"If this end of the system is already experiencing flooding, then once the hurricane hits land, this entire area will get pretty deep. I dunno," Mike remarked, "I think we should play it safe, head back to the lair, get Splinter, then go on over to April's, just in case."

Don inclined his head towards the east passage, "I think we ought to check things out, first, Mikey. Maybe there's a blockage. That would explain why the water is deeper here. If we can take care of that and divert the flow, then we won't have to leave."

"And if not, Don?" Raph was becoming concerned.

"Simple…we go back to get Splinter and head on over to April's place as planned."

The other three seemed to agree, with Raph uttering his favorite line, "Then, let's do it, 'kay?"

The four brothers made their way into the older sewer passage. With the water too widespread to ignore, they sloshed through for a while, at one point wading thigh-deep as they walked. Fortunately for them, the dim lighting dotting the ceiling every fifteen feet or so helped to light their way. Although skilled enough to work in complete darkness, any illumination was something the turtles appreciated. That is, unless they were patroling for Foot. So far though, there hadn't been any indications that their hated enemy was even in the tunnels.

As they walked further through the sewers, the passageway seemed to rise up a little, forcing the turtles to adjust their footing lest they slip on the slick sludge coating the concrete floor. Soon, they weren't sloshing as much, where the water wasn't as deep, but there was still enough water to run quite readily along the ground as it rushed back towards the lower area they had just waded through. The gurgling and splashing echoed against the concrete walls of the sewer system and, if it weren't for the fact that they were under the streets of New York City, it mimicked the sound of a babbling brook.

"Man, it must really be raining topside," Don pointed, "Look at all the water running down the walls from the ceiling."

Moisture seeped down in rivulets, where the wall met the ceiling. It was obvious the city was experiencing more rain than the culverts and gutters could hold. The overflow had found cracks and openings in the antiquated concrete. The farther in they walked, the worse things became and the sound of water grew louder.

"This doesn't feel right," Raph suddenly turned, "I think we need to go back…"

Just then, the earth rumbled beneath their feet with a sudden, undulating, and heaving jolt, like an angry serpent. Their eyes darted about in concern as the tunnel before them bent and twisted.

"Earthquake!" Don declared excitedly.

"No _way_, Don!" Mikey's shout was panicked, almost breathlessly, as he grabbed onto Raphael. "I - I thought they only occurred in California!"

"They happen anywhere, Mike, and New York can have them, too!" Don replied, splaying his feet to balance better, "Just not - very often."

As the quake subsided, a loud boom reverberated from within the tunnel. The sound of breaking concrete followed and then - twenty feet up the passage - one side of the sewer wall gave way with a sudden force. Dirt and rock now spilled out into the tunnel like a mini landslide, piling up along the floor and joining the large, crumbled chucks of concrete littering the ground. The lights in the ceiling winked off and then back on again, with all four turtles holding their breath.

Leo was the first to act. He took tentative steps towards the damage. As he approached the area of destruction, he glanced towards the opening in the sewer wall - and nearly shouted, "Hey, guys, there's a cave here!"

"A cave?" Mikey's adventuresome spirit kicked into high gear. Completely forgetting about the earthquake - and the approaching hurricane - he rushed to join his brother in blue. Spying the gapping hole, he smiled wide, "Hey, cool, a cave!"

"Guys, I think we need to get back," Donnie suggested as he looked up at the ceiling, "If the wall is that insecure, then it might mean the ceiling is, too."

Yet, Mike's curiosity was already at an all-time high. He unhooked his personal flashlight from his utility belt and flipped it on, and then directed its beam into the heart of the small cavern. As it illuminated the interior, he suddenly yipped, "Bones, guys, there're skeletons in here!"

"Bones? Someone died in there?" Curiously, Don carefully made his way over to where Mike and Leo stood.

Raphael likewise followed, but kept looking up at the ceiling, mindful that Don was probably right about its instability. Still, he was just as curious about the cave as his brothers were.

Leo had already taken his flashlight and switched it on, adding it to his brother's light. Now, both he and Mikey could discern the cave better.

"Yeah," Leo concurred, "three bodies. And…" as Leonardo stepped towards the mouth of the cave and squinted, trying to determine what it was he was looking at, "Seems they're wearing - _costumes_ of some sort, too."

"Costumes?" Raph snorted, "Come on, Leo, that's ridiculous…" As he activated his own flashlight and trained it on the same pile of debris, he gasped, "Wow, you're - right."

Don stepped towards the opening and added his flashlight to the mix, as well. He gasped when he saw the three skeletons, "Wow, you're not kidding." He noticed that two bodies were leaning up against the left hand side of cave along the rocky surface, while the third lay crumpled a few feet away. Skin still covered much of their bones, however. In fact, the skeletons appeared dried or mummified. Just the same, each body seemed dressed in strange-looking clothing, almost antiquated in design.

Then, something among the skeletons reflected the light, its glint catching Mike's interest. Without thinking, he carefully leaped into the small, newly opened cavern.

"Mike, **don't, STOP**!" Leo warned, trying to grab at his brother, but it was too late. His orange-banded sibling was too fast and was already inside the cave. "Man…" Grumbling, Leo went in to join him.

Don and Raph didn't hesitate as they followed their blue-banded brother, too.

"Wow, these bones don't look that old," Mike remarked as he bent down to see what had attracted his interest. He \ exclaimed, as he looked closer, "Cool!" Capped onto several of the exposed dentures of the skeleton lying flat on the ground, its lips shrunk back to a garish grin, was gold.

Gold teeth to be exact.

As Michelangelo tried to touch one, Don quickly grabbed his brother's arm, "Don't **touch** it, Mike!" Don exclaimed, "If these are recent deaths, it could be diseased." As he bent down on one knee to get a better view, training his flashlight on the skeletons, he suddenly exclaimed. "Wow, these aren't recent at all." He looked around the cave and noticed that, except for the jagged opening leading into the sewers, where the wall had collapsed, there wasn't any other way out.

Looking at the skeletons again, Don pointed, "These 'people' died some time ago. Don't know how they managed to get in here, but considering this was probably an airtight environment before the wall gave way, the absence of air would mummify any human remains. From what I can tell, these bodies have been dead for at least a couple hundred years, maybe even more."

"How can _you_ tell, Don-san; you an expert in forensics, now?" Raph sniggered.

"The Internet is a wonderful place to learn things, Raph - you should try it sometime," Don replied dryly and never taking his eyes off the skeletons.

Mike snickered, "Or watch CSI, dude!"

Ignoring his brothers' teasing, Don commented, "And based on how these poor souls are dressed, I would say they died around the eighteenth century, too, maybe even sooner."

As he studied Gold Tooth a little more, Don noticed the skeleton's right arm, the skin dried from mummification. There was a mark there and as Donnie looked closer, he could barely make out the letter 'P'. Then, just above it, was a tattoo. _A sparrow - with a rising, or setting sun?_ _That's odd_, he thought to himself.

He then noticed a hat lying beside the skeleton's head and so he picked it up. Fingering the three-cornered head-covering and then considering the brand on the arm, again, after a moment, Don finally concluded, "And, I'd say this was a pirate. They liked wearing tricorne hats."

"Tricorne?" Mike looked at the head piece, "You mean…they made hats using three ears of corn?"

Raph snorted with Don chuckling a little, "No, it's just its name, it means three-cornered."

"Oh, okay," Mike shrugged, "but wouldn't it be better if it was made out of corn, though."

"Why's that?" Raph realized he probably shouldn't have asked, but - well - it was Mikey making the comment and he just couldn't resist finding out what nonsense his brother had in mind.

"Then, if they run out of food," Mike grinned, "they can 'eat' their hat! Kinda explains that saying, when someone swears 'I'll eat my hat', when they lose a bet."

"Figured you'd say somethin' like that!" Raph groaned in mock agony.

In either case, Don noticed that the dead pirate seemed to be without any clothing from the waste up, which made the turtle wonder about it. He noticed a cutlass off to one side, with charcoaled bits of burned material stuck to it. Pointing to the artifact, Don explained, "It looks as if he tried to make a torch by wrapping his shirt around his sword. That would explain why he's the only one bare-chested. Ingenious."

Yet, what was most striking was the hair on the misfortunate soul's head. Dark dreadlocks spilled along the floor, with most of it still attached to its owner's skull. Medals and other trinkets seemed woven into the thick, braided hair with one rather grandiose example lying along the left side, and still connected to one of the dead pirate's dreadlocks. "This was definitely a buccaneer!" Don declared.

"A buccaneer? I though you said it was a pirate?" Mike was really confused, now.

"They're one and the same, Mikey," Raph patted his brother's shoulder.

"Oh, cool!"

Don then looked over at the other two skeletons propped up against the wall, and who seemed in the middle of an embrace, "And these two knew each other well, given the affectionate nature of how one is holding the other."

"So, ya tell'n me that pirates were a bit cozy _wit_ each othah, eh?" Raph sniggered, causing Mike to grin, too.

"Well," Don thoughtfully stroked his chin, "they did spend a lot of time at sea without the company of women." He went over to the pair and noticed that both seemed attired in similar clothing as the 'pirate'. One of the deceased rested within the arms of the other, its head resting on its companion's shoulder. Long brown hair hung off the head haphazardly, as if tied back at one point, before decay had broken the tie. However, as he looked closer, he spied a necklace around the throat of the skeleton in question.

"I think this one was a female, a woman." Don declared, "Might have been a captive, or maybe a pirate, too, with the way she's dressed."

Raph snorted, "Female pirates? Com'on, Don, get serious!"

"No, really, there were. Women sometimes found themselves in a similar line of work."

"How do you know this one is a she, though?"

Don reached down and ripped off the necklace from around the neck of the female skeleton, "Aside for the fact her hair is long and appeared to be styled at one point, her necklace is far too feminine for a man to wear." Hanging from the gold chain he had retrieved from around the corpse's neck, they could see a large, bright red ruby, encircled with diamonds, and set in gold. It glittered radiantly in the beam of their flashlights, the gem's blood-red color mesmerizing and beautiful. "Probably something a loved-one gave to her. It seems very sentimental." For safekeeping, Don pocketed the necklace into one of his pouches of his utility belt.

While Raph grumbled under his breath about know-it-all brothers, Leo walked over to the opposite side of the cave. He inspected the rock fall collected there. "Seems that there might have been an opening here, but…" he glanced above him and noticed an obvious indention in the ceiling above, "looks like something caused the rocks in the ceiling to give way and block it." He looked back again and addressed his brothers, "Maybe from one of those rare earthquakes, eh?" He chuckled a little and then, just as Leo turned and walked back to his brothers, the ground beneath them began to rumble and jerk again. It was another earthquake, or aftershock!

"Earthquakes and hurricanes, what's this world comin' to?" Mike whined nervously, trying not to lose his balance.

Raph grabbed onto Mikey to keep them both vertical as Don latched onto Leo, with the same mindset. Now, all four brothers straddled the heaving and bolting ground like cowboys on a bucking horse.

Then, as dust and small rocks dislodged from the ceiling above and rained down on them in a fine, gritty sheet, Leo frantically cried out, "We need to get out, NOW!"

As the foursome stumbled along, fighting their way over the quaking ground towards the sewers, they grabbed onto each other rumba line style. Suddenly, the view of the tunnel just beyond the opening warped. A rushing, growling noise now filled their ears. Worse still, they couldn't move. It felt as if someone or something had caught them in a net. Confused and afraid, all four brothers wondered what in shell was happening.

Then, as the scene in front of them twisted and turned some more, like a reflection in a house of mirrors, they vanished into thin air - and without a trace.


	3. Volcano!

_**DISCLAIMER - **TMNT's and Pirates of the Caribbean are owned by others. I only own the story and any interpretations of known events within the genre of these two fan-doms. Again, fantasy and supernatural are part of the story description. _

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**Chapter 3 - Volcano! **

"AAHHHHHHHH!"

Michelangelo's scream resonated with an ear-piercing shriek,causing his brothers to cringe in response. Unfortunately, that was all they could do.

Just as things went crazy, Raph, wide-eyed, had grabbed onto Mike, while Mike had grasped Don's arm. A split second before everything changed, Don latched a desperate hand to Leo's carapace, while Leo could do nothing more than stand there, rigid, in the same fashion that his brothers were. Rigid, as in all four seemed helplessly immobile and caught in a strange invisible force that refused to let them go. And, despite the fact they felt frozen in mid-stride, they were completely aware of everything going on around them. The problem was they didn't have a clue what was happening. All they could see in place of the gaping hole leading to the sewers was a disjointed flux of colors, the way their television would behave whenever the signal got screwy.

It lasted for a minute of so, but then, suddenly, the dizzying scene stabilized. Now, the four ninja turtles found themselves able to move once again.

They stumbled forward slightly, unprepared for the release, but then their training kicked in. Easily recovering they found looming just ahead of them a different scene than the one that had been there before. No longer were they staring at the jagged opening in the cave wall with the sewer tunnel just beyond it. Instead, they found themselves staring at strange solid rock.

Although it was obvious they were still inside a cave, it looked different from the one with the skeletons. And, stranger still, there seemed to be a fresh flow of air, too, with an unidentifiable sweetness riding its waves.

Just the same, the breezed was the least of their collected concerns.

"What in **shell** just happened?" Raph nearly bellowed, looking around while his body shook from the shock of his forced rigidity. In short, Raphael was freaked out.

"D-d-don't know, dude," Mike replied nervously, almost hyperventilating. He quickly looking around, eyes wide as he said, "One minute we were in that - that _cave_ with the skeletons and the next moment we're - here…wherever '_here'_ is." Then he suddenly sniffed and seemed to perk just a little, "But at least this one smells better!"

Curious, Don let go of Leo, who seemed equally stunned with confusion, and walked over to the rocky wall to investigate it. As he ran a hand over its surface, Donatello remarked, "Not the same kind of rock, guys. This is more…volcanic, not granite like in New York. Strange…it's almost as if we've been trans…" Don's voice suddenly trailed off, as if in thought. He didn't want to voice his concerns just yet, not until he was certain. He continued to inspect the hard, roughened composition of the wall's surface. The more he thought, the more there was something about it that told him they weren't in New York City anymore.

Finally, Leonardo found his bearings and clicked his flashlight off. After hooking it to his belt, he unsheathed his katana with seamless fluidity born from years of practice. The metal blades softly sang out, their voice echoing against the rocky interior of the cave. Their familiar sound gave Leonardo a bit of comfort. Then, as he nervously looked around, Leonardo quickly spied an opening in the far wall behind Raphael. It appeared be a break of some sort; a wide crack in the wall, and the way the air moved around, it felt as if that was where the air was originating from, too.

_Hmm…might be an opening at the other end,_ he thought to himself. Then, pointing a katana towards the hole in the wall, Leonardo resolutely declared to his brothers, "Wherever we are, **that's** our way out. But, we need to be on alert, guys."

In response, his other brothers followed Leo's example by switching their flashlights off, too, and reattaching them to their utility belts. As they brandished their own weapons, anxious anticipation replaced their confused fear, but then suddenly, something didn't seem quite right. Where they had expected to be standing in complete darkness, the cave still seemed lit up. Not as brightly as with the flashlights, but it was enough to see each other by.

"How come I can still see you guys?" Mike asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, it's almost as bright as day!" Raph complained.

Curiously, Donnie looked around and then glanced upwards. He smiled and pointed, "This cave has a chimney!"

"A…what?" Raph asked, his own eyes following Donnie's gaze. Mike and Leo did the same.

There above them, maybe fifty feet straight up, they could see a small hole. The ceiling itself narrowed the higher it went, gradually shrinking in width, until it reached the opening. The opening itself only spanned about four feet across, but it was large enough to allow sunlight to shine through. In response the light filtered down through the neck of the chimney, somewhat diffused due to the position of the sun, but it still adequately illuminated the interior of the cave.

"Well, that's a help, unless we have to make like ninja and disappear," Mike remarked dryly.

Although relieved they would have some light, Leo was still apprehensive, He had been in some mighty strange situations in his life and had even found himself transported back to the dinosaur age, Yet, there were explanations and even a guide - Renet, to be exact - to justify it. Not so with this adventure and that was what worried him.

Who had done this?

Walking over to break in the wall, Leonardo peered around its corner. He expected to see nothing but darkness beyond. Instead, he saw a clearly defined tunnel, illuminated in a similar light as the cave. He looked up towards the roof of the tunnel, about ten feet high, and found pockets of openings here and there, as if someone had punched holes to the outside. As he further inspected the passageway, it appeared as if it was composed of the same material as that of the cave. Just the same, the tunnel seemed as if someone had carved it through the solid, volcanic rock, only…the tunnel didn't look to be manmade.

"What could cause this, Don?" Leo asked his brother, gesturing towards the tunnel with one katana.

Don came over to his brother's side. He studied the tunnel for a moment, running his hand just past its threshold and along the uneven surface of the tunnel's wall. Then, he looked at Leo and said, "Basalt, it's made of the same material as the cave."

"What's basalt?" Raph asked as he joined his two brothers at the opening.

"Lava that has cooled and hardened into rock," Don replied, moving away, now, and inspecting the cave's composition a little closer.

Mike's eyes widened considerably, "D-D-Donnie, wh-what do you mean… lava? Lava - as in - _volcano_?"

"Yes, Mikey," Don smiled and then turned to face his youngest brother, totally missing the look of horror on Michelangelo's face. Slipping into his professor-like mode, "This cave was probably a volcano vent, which explains the chimney. When it was active, it behaved like its larger counterpart, but was probably reliant on the same magma source. It created the tunnel we see here after a breach in the vent's wall, which, was probably when the tunnel was formed. When the volcano stopped erupting, the exterior side of the flow cooled enough to create a hardened crust and where the molten rock inside probably remained in liquid form, it moved through the newly formed tunnel like a river. If there's an opening at the other end, it would then empty out. Through the years, rain then erodes the more fragile rock and that's how a lava tube or tunnel is created."

"Oh, good," Mikey chuckled derisively as he grinned, "you had me worried there for a moment!" Then, his expression changed to one of pure panic. He nearly yelled, "We're inside a VOLCANO, DON! and you're standing here, wasting time giving LECTURES? What's wrong with you? We need to get outta here!"

However, before Mike could sprint through the cave opening, Raphael grabbed up his brother and clamped a hand over the resisting turtle's mouth, hissing, "Shut it, lamebrain!"

Mike tried to break free, to run, as he wriggled and protested under Raph's restraints. Despite Raph's hand across his mouth, though, to keep him quiet, Mikey still managed muffled shouts of '_we're gonna burn alive'_ and '_turtle stew' _anda slew of other not-so-pleasant ways of dying.

"Mikey, it's all right," Don said, trying to ease his brother's concerns, "We're not going to die."

Mikey stopped his squirming, but Raph still held onto him. He knew his little brother all too well. Mike could feign compliance just so Raph would let him go, and then take off the way he first tried to do.

As Donnie laid a comforting hand along his brother's arm, though he explained as best he could trying to reassure him, "Mike, this is only a vent, but its host - the volcano - is probably very ancient, dead. It's no longer active. It's extinct. I highly doubt we're in any danger."

"Bub…" Mike tried to protest under Raph's hand. The orange-masked turtle suddenly gave a thumbs-up sign to his red-banded brother and mumbled, "I on't 'ell, promse."

Tentatively, Raph let go of his brother and warned him, "Betteh keep it down, nimrod."

Mike nodded agreement and then turned to Donnie, "You highly _doubt_, but are you absolutely sure?"

Donnie smiled at Michelangelo, "I'm sure, Mikey!"

It was then Donatello felt the air current pick up, so he licked a finger and held his hand out. As the breeze played along his moistened fingertip, he nodded in the direction of the tunnel, "and more than likely, Mike, there's another opening at the end of this lava tube," he added.

"Good, cuz the quicker we get there, the quicker I'm gonna feel safe!" Mike whined.

Leo whispered, "Then let's move out, but - be ready, just in case."

As Don took a step to follow Leo, though, he casually looked down at his feet - and then suddenly saw something. With a foot, he moved some of the dirt that had collected there, soon revealing something carved into the floor. Instantly, his eyes went wide, as he declared, "Wait, look at the ground!" He stepped aside and crouched to a squat, and then quickly brushed more of the dirt away. "Hieroglyphics!" he declared, "Someone's been here before!"

"Ya know, Don," Raph said, "I couldn't care less about someone's _glyphics_; I just wanna get outta here!"

"No, this is important!" Don insisted, ignoring Raphael's impatient grunts, as the ninja in purple swept away more of the dirt, "It may explain why or how we got here."

"What makes you so sure, Donnie?" Leo asked as he stepped over to see what it was his brother had found.

"Can _you_ explain how we got here?" Don challenged, looking up at his leader with earnest eyes.

Shrugging, Leo sighed, "No, I guess I can't."

"Neither can I, but this…" Don indicated the etching with one hand and said, "Might be a clue!" He went back to cleaning the dirt from the carving, mumbling about portals and other technobabble stuff.

Raphael shook his head. Then, walking over to the side of the cave, he leaned against the wall. He took out one sai and began twirling it as he watched Donnie, with Mikey's assistance, sweep the carving clean of dirt. Still, Raph seemed mildly interested. In just a few minutes, his brothers had the area exposed.

Now, they all stared at the cave floor where - in the middle - a large circle loomed up at them. It was maybe six feet in diameter and, yet, scratched deep into the hard surface of the volcanic rock and inside the large circle was a weird style of hieroglyphics. Raphael now pushed away from the wall, intrigued with what Donnie had found. He walked over to get a closer look.

The markings were certainly very strange and seemed to line up just in front of the cave's exit. As Raph turned his head this way and that, trying to make sense of what he saw, he noted a crazy jagged line running down from the top center of the round border and dropping like stair steps to the left. Along the right side of the jagged line sat a set of smaller circles, two, in fact, one inside the other. It didn't make any sense at all to him.

Taking a step closer, Raphael asked, "Wh-what d'ya think it is, Don-san?"

Then Donnie stood up and was quiet for a moment as he thought. Stroking his chin, he walked slowly around the perimeter of the etching, studying it. Suddenly, his face brightened and he explained, "If I'm not mistaken, this line that stair-steps down from the top middle of the largest circle," he pointed his staff at the mark in question where it began and then used the tip to trace the carving, "Notice how jagged it runs towards the left side from the top? It just might be a prehistoric hieroglyphic of an earthquake. Someone from the ancient past might have tried to draw one."

Raph nodded, "Makes sense. But, what about the smaller circles along the right side?"

Don '_hummed'_ a bit, as he studied the strange symbol. First, though, he considered the larger circle that encompassed both etchings. With only the squiggly, stair-step line, there didn't seem to be enough carvings for the given amount of space inside the circle. There was still a lot of room left over. It was almost as if there should have been more. Yet, Don couldn't see any wear marks that suggested there had been, as if erosion had erased them. It was all quite odd.

Then, Donnie thought to himself, _Could it be a…puzzle, perhaps_?

He studied the second symbol, now, the small double circle that Raph had just asked him about. It was twelve inches across, if that much, with a smaller circle just inside it. Situated to the right of the jagged line at the top, the double circles sat along what would be the median line of the ring that encompassed the carvings.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and Don shook his head as he smiled.

It was so obvious to him.

"As for the double circle, Raphael, just think about it. What was happening back in New York, before we found ourselves here?"

"What does **that** have to do with _this_?" Raph grumped.

"Just - just think about it, guys. What does the double circle _look_ like to you?"

Leo offered, "An eye?"

"Hmm…maybe, but wrong answer," Don smirked.

They were silent for a moment, but then Mike's voice declared, "A hurricane!"

"Right!" Don smiled at him.

"I knew it!" Mike grinned, pumping his fist in the air in victory.

Raph rolled his eyes and muttered, "Lucky guess."

"Yet, not just _A_ hurricane, bros," Donnie remarked, "but two hurricanes joined together," Don then pointed to the circle again, indicating the second one just inside of it, "This could represent a double or twin hurricane to the prehistoric man!" Slipping a hand into a pocket of his utility belt, Donatello retrieved a small notepad and pen.

"Don't tell me…you carry pen and paper with you?" Raph asked sarcastically.

"Always," Don said simply, while he copied down the diagram, "one never knows when you have to take notes - such as now."

"And, pray tell, how is THIS gonna help us?" Raph asked.

"Don't know, but if my hunch is correct, what we experienced in New York, what with the impending hurricane and the earthquake happening at the same time, I believe it all has something to do with our being here. It's just too coincidental. I'm certain there'll be more hieroglyphics like this one somewhere else," Don explained casually. "There's just too much space left over in the main circle of this one for it to be otherwise. There has to be more." When he was done, he closed his notepad and returned it and the pen to his pouch.

"And how do you suppose we're gonna find these other - hier-what-have-yous, Mr. IQ?" Raph teased.

"Hieroglyphics, Raph, and I don't know that, either, so I guess I'm not Mr. Know it All - _after_ all!" Don smiled and considered the ground carving again, "It's just a mystery right now."

"Well," Leo said, "we aren't going to find anything by staying here," so he unsheathed his katana and turned towards the exit. As he led the way, the other three followed him into the ancient lava tube.

As they walked along, though, Mike kept looking around, wondering if the volcano was indeed dead, hoping it was dead, _praying_ it was dead, but still mindful that - from his experiences - anything could happen. _Man oh man oh, man, how d'we get into these spots, anyway?_ he muttered anxiously to himself, _it's_ _almost like someone's writing us into these adventures!. _

As they walked through the passageway, the air current blew harder, as if something was pushing it along. Don quietly explained it was due in part to the chimney back in the cave. Because of its small opening, the wind outside blowing across the top created a drag that drew air like a water wick from the opposite end of the lava tube, where - he assured them - there was probably an opening. The air then traveled into the cavern behind them and up through the chimney. Don hoped that whatever opening they did find, it would be big enough to all them to pass through. Still, adding to the allure, the strange, spicy aroma that had intrigued them initially seemed stronger the farther into the tunnel they walked.

"Did someone just set off a room deodorizer?" Mike finally asked, more to himself than to his brothers. In all honesty, he was still trying to forget about his more pressing concern - such as the volcano. A hard _thwak_ to his head, however, had him ducking, "**Ow**, hey, Raph, stop it, I was only kidding."

"Well, keep yer yap shut, moron, this tunnel echoes! We're on alert until we can be sure things are safe!"

"Hey, Donnie talked and you didn't smack him!" Mike sassed as he pointed to the brother in question and who walked just in front of him. His head turning this away and that, though, Donnie seemed apparently more interested in the lava tube's walls than the on-going argument behind him.

"Shhh, guys," Leo admonished in whispered warning, now facing his brothers, "If we don't know where we are, we sure as _shell_ don't know the dangers." He turned back around to continue working his way through the tunnel, swords unsheathed. Stilling his breath, he hissed, "We're ninja, no horsing around!"

As the four brothers continued to edge quietly along the passageway, they were ever mindful of an attack. Inch by inch they stepped, stealthily making their way through the tube as quiet and as cautious as their training dictated. The holes in the ceiling above them illuminated the tube with diffused sunlight, much in the way the cave had done, but unlike the cave, vines had threaded their way in. The air felt more humid, too, than while in the cave. It was obvious that wherever they were, it was some other place different altogether than New York City.

"Say, Donnie," Leo asked quietly as they moved along, "what made the holes in the lava tube?"

"Well," Don replied, looking at the various-sized openings as he walked along, "erosion plays an important part, of course, but sometimes air bubbles get trapped in quickly cooling lava and will create a thinner crust. Over a period of many years - the crust will erode and break open, creating the holes that you see."

Then, as Donnie happened to glance to his right, he suddenly whispered, "Everyone stop. Look at **this**!" He walked over to his point of interest and ran a hand along the tunnel wall.

"Ah, not another one…" Raph grumped, twirling one sai anxiously, "can't we get outta here first?"

"No, I've found another marking!" Don declared, "This one is different, though." He absentmindedly retrieved his notepad and pen again, flipping it open to the page he had drawn the first etching on. He looked at the new carving, studied it for a second, and then began sketching. While he did, Mike, Leo, and Raphael, moved closer to see what it was that had interested their brother.

"What is it?" Leo asked curiously.

"Well, if I should hazard a guess…"

"Better hazard fast, Donnie," Raph interrupted, "or I'll hazard your face!"

"Knock it off, Raph, this might be important."

"Whatever, Leo…"

"So, Donnie, what is it?" Leo asked again.

"Aztec. That's what this is and I'm certain the other symbols back in the cave are, too." Don replied, almost in awe, "Yet this one is kind of like their sun calendar, but different. See the skull in the middle? That's a symbol of death, it's kind of universal when you think about it."

"Could'a told you that one!" Raph mumbled.

His brothers ignored him as Don continued, "It has the same eight lunar solar rays, or points, as the original calendar - I've seen a picture of the artifact on the Internet - but the other symbols are wrong, or at least augmented. Here, they're not like the original calendar at all. It's - very strange."

As soon as Don finished sketching out the main components of the carving, he slipped his pen and pad back into his belt pocket. Glancing once more at the wall again, "It almost looks like a - _warning_ of sorts." He glanced back towards the cave again, "Maybe to let people know to stay out of the cave?"

"Could'a told ya that one, too!" Raph deadpanned and then asked, "So, we done here, cuz I have to go - literally."

Leo smirked, "Urgent is it?"

Raph harrumphed, then smiled, showing Leonardo one sai, straight up.

"Funny, Raphael," Leo chuckled. "So, Don you done here?" Don nodded affirmative and then Leonardo turned to head the rest of the way through the tunnel.

The farther they walked, the brighter the area around them became and, before long, Leo found the other end of the tube. He exhaled a long breath of relief when he saw that the opening would be more than big enough to allow them to pass through to the outside. However, as he took stock of the scene before him, rather than stepping through, he suddenly stopped.

"Everyone on your toes," he whispered back, "something's - not right about this."

For a moment, Mike appeared taller. It confused Raphael for a second, until he looked at his brother's feet. He groaned. His goofball brother was _literally_ standing on his toes.

Another _thwak_ to the head brought Mikey back down on his heels, "Hey, mind if I have some _fun_?" he complained, rubbing his now-sore noggin.

"When are ya eveh gonna learn, Mikey?" Raph shook his head, "We need to secure the environment first, then ya can have fun, okay?"

"Okay, fine, whatever…but I _am_ the designated comic-relief, you do know that, right?" Mike sounded genuinely affronted, as if his brother had missed the point entirely.

"Whatever…" Raph chuckled, shaking his head, and then directed his next comment to Leonardo, "So, fearless, are we staying inside or are we goin' out?"

Leo didn't reply at first, as he was still trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Finally, "I - I don't know…it's all so - so strange."

"Look, can't be stranger than that cave. Whatever it is…" Raph began as he moved his way up the line to where his older brother stood, "we've seen weirder stuff before, so…" but as he reached Leonardo's side and saw what his brother was looking at, his words trailed off.

With a voice soft and wondrous, Raphael exclaimed, "_Wow_, would'ya look at that!"


	4. The Cliff

_**DISCLAIMER - **I'm broke, which probably means I can't claim any money made by the TMNT's. Sad, huh? Anyway, I do promise that the characters from POTC will make an appearance, just not now. Or in the next chapter, or the next one after that. Maybe by chapter 6 we'll have the anticipated introduction of Jack Sparrow and the turtles. Maybe, but I don't promise it. Depends on what my muses tell me to write. I'm a prisoner, don'cha know? LOL_

_This isn't an especially exciting chapter, folks, but it is informative - I hope, anyway - and looooong. I thought of brekaing it up, but decided it had to all go together, otherwise, it just wouldn't work well. _

_Thanks to the great Askre and Cynlee for beta reading my story (and for Lunar Ninja with her review when she pointed out that I named Jack Sparrow as Jack Swallow! Well, at least I kept with the bird theme, eh? Yes, this is a re-write, if only because I corrected Jack's last name in the disclaimer) Anyway,without their help, questions, and encouragement, I'd be flying blind_, _more so than normal_. :0)

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**Chapter 3 - The Cliff **

"This…is impossible," Donnie remarked softly. With an expression wide and - well - confused, he next uttered, "How can this be. How?"

Raph chuckled and slapped his brainiac brother on the back, "Well, once again, folks, Mr. Know-it-all is stumped."

Don turned a baleful glare at his brother in red but then sighed, and resigned himself to the obvious, "Well, yeah, guess I am…but…**you** certainly can't explain this!" he challenged.

Knowing that they were, once again, on another unplanned adventure, Raph grinned as he said, "Yer right about that, Donnie-boy, but one thing's fer sure, guys."

"And what's that?" Leo asked as he stared in amazement at the scenery before him, trying to make sense of things.

"No hurricane, no flooding, and most importantly - no FOOT!"

"And no Splinter," came a soft, subdued voice behind them.

They turned and saw Mikey hang back a little. A mixture of confusion and sadness seemed to have replaced his previously anxious expression. Oh, he easily saw the towering palm trees, ferns, and wild orchids just outside the tunnel opening. How could he not? Oh, and the fragrance on the breeze as it brushed by them, drawn into the tunnel and towards the cave! It was so sweet and intoxicating. Yet, the uncertain look Michelangelo gave his three brothers was anything but happy.

"Dudes, we can't forget that Master Splinter's still in New York," he lamented, "I don't know where _we_ are, but _he_ has to deal with the hurricane by himself. I dunno how we all got _here_, but - I'd feel better if we had Sensei with us." He slumped against the tunnel wall, now, "I don't feel right about this at all."

Raphael suddenly grabbed his brother by the shoulders and pointedly looked him in the eye. "Mikey, Masteh Splinteh can take care of himself, has been fer longer than we've been able to. And, fer all we know, Mike, we might be dreamin', or been knocked unconscious by the fallin' rock in the cave back in New York. Hey, maybe we're even _dead _and this is heaven!"

"And your _point_?" Mike asked dryly, "'cause that still means Sensei's alone."

"My point is, we should enjoy this while we can. Good things for us never last, Mikey. Gotta take what ya can get." Raph jerked a thumb towards the tempting scenery beyond, "This here's like paradise. It even smells like paradise. Ya think Splinter would want us to not take advantage of it?"

Mike, his eyes brimming just a little, replied softly, "I think he'd want us to find a way home, Raph,"

"What is it with you, I thought you liked adventure?" Raph grumped, taking a step back to analyze his brother better.

"I do…when I can understand it," Mike admitted, "but this…_this_ is weird. First, we find that cave with the skeletons and - how did they get in there, anyway? Don doesn't even know! Did they get in there the same way we got here? And, if they did, why didn't their bones end up here with us, too? Why didn't they get caught in that tractor-beam-thingy that brought us here, huh?"

"Trans-dimensional portal." Don murmured.

"What?"

"What you call a tractor-beam was a trans-dimensional portal," Don repeated, "I'm sure of it."

"Whatever…" Mike rolled his eyes, "We're still in a volcano, Don - and how do you know it's extinct, anyway?" He looked beseechingly at his brainy brother, "I mean...maybe it's just sleeping. They call volcanoes something that means they're still active but not, what is it…?" Mike looked away, his brow pinching together in thought.

Don swallowed and answered, "Dormant."

"Yeah," Mike nodded eagerly as he looked back at Don, his eyes wider, "dormant!" Pointing back the way they had come, "Maybe underneath the cave floor back there is another eruption, just waiting for an excuse to blow."

Don shook his head as he stepped towards his brother, "Mike, no…for one thing, that floor was cold. If there was magma underneath it, not only would it be too hot for us to stand on, the room would be like an oven and smell like sulfur, it'd be pretty awful, believe me! And that engraving has been there for decades, maybe even centuries." He then pointed towards the edges of the tunnel opening, "Plus, there's moss and ferns and orchids growing along these rocks here, as well as in the ceiling where the openings are in the tunnel. The vegetation outside is very dense, Mike. That means it's been a long time since this place saw any volcanic activity. I know what I'm talking about, we're safe."

"For now! But what if we can't find our way back home, then? We can't explain how we got here, not like when Renet sent us back to the dinosaur age. And who knows, maybe she was the one who sent us here!"

Leo suddenly interrupted then, "No, Mikey, I know what it feels like when Renet's involved," he gave a small laugh, "This was way too smooth. Although, I sure wish she did do it, it would mean she could send us back home."

"_Might_ send us home, ya know that girl's crazy unpredictable, Leo," Raph snorted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…but still…" Leo shrugged.

"Anyway," Mike continued, bringing the topic back again to his more immediate concern, "I know we've been in stranger places before and maybe it was fun, but - I dunno, maybe I'm tired of all the adventures." He sighed, almost whining, "I just wanna be normal for once, have normal things happen to us."

"Earth to Mike," Raph lightly rapped the top of his brother's head with his knuckles, "In case ya haven't noticed, we're not normal. But what happened to us in that cave and what's happenin' now, _is_ normal. Life can neveh be normal fer us, not the way you want it t'be."

Don smiled in understanding and applied a gentle hand to Michelangelo's arm, "You're just having an anxiety attack about being in a volcano, Mikey, that's all. Everything'll be okay."

"Maybe, but personally, guys," Mikey sighed deeply, "I'd rather deal with the Foot or intergalactic wars - or _even_ **dinosaurs** - than mess with volcanoes. At least…well…at least I _know_ how to fight 'em."

Leo unsheathed his katana, "Guys, we're going to have to talk about this later." He turned towards the opening again and took a breath as he stared out, "Since we don't know where we are, we have some exploring to do, " Leonardo then stepped hesitantly through the opening in the lava tube and into the great outdoors. He went slowly at first, carefully inspecting the general area, looking in all directions to make sure they weren't walking into a trap. He listened for anything unusual, but found only the normal buzz, chirp, and click sounds indigenous to jungle life. Confident that they were safe for the moment, he motioned to his brothers. As Mike, Don, and Raph filed out of the tunnel entrance Leonardo led the way. Then, he began hacking through the dense undergrowth with his swords.

A while later…

"Hey, Raph, how long are you going to be? We have to get going." Leo called out, tapping his foot against the leaf-strewn ground.

Arms crossed in front of him, he currently leaned against a tree as he waited for his brother's return. He had just finished cleaning his katana of sap build-up and had returned them to their sheaths, confident that at least, here, his swords' only job would be to blaze a trail. Cutting through dense jungle undergrowth for thirty minutes and not finding anything remotely dangerous had convinced Leonardo - for now anyway - that, wherever the heck they were, it seemed safe. Other than crossing paths with an occasional gecko, the area seemed absent of predators. There was the occasional squawk of parrots and other birds as well as the hum of insects, but that was about it. In short, there wasn't any real need for Leo's katana - other than using them as machetes.

As he glanced over towards Mike, Leonardo noticed his orange-wearing brother seemed as gloomy as he was when they first came out of the lava tube. Leo couldn't blame Michelangelo for worrying about their father, Master Splinter. The truth was, all of them had concerns about their sensei, but their respective duties had allowed some distraction. Don had his drawings to study and Leo had to play leader. And Raph - well, Leo chuckled lightly - his brother had the job of being a pain in the butt. Yeah, that was exactly how Raph described _him_, too, but it seemed that Raphael tried his best to exemplify the same trait.

As for Mike, he really didn't have a job, other than fighting when it became necessary and acting as the comic relief. And there really wasn't anything funny about their sensei having to deal with the New York hurricane by himself, either. No, Leo thought, Mikey had every good reason to be glum.

Leo then heard Donnie mumble under his breath from where he sat on a low rock. The purple-banded turtle was currently studying the drawings he had made of the hieroglyphics in the cave and a few of the leaves and flowers he had collected while they walked. Just the same Leo knew that Don's murmurings were his way of working through a problem, of trying to find a solution. Leo couldn't help but smile.

_No matter where we are or what kind of trouble we're in, Don's always trying to think it through, to find aremedy or a way out,_ he mused to himself.

Earlier, right after leaving the lava tube, Leo found the tangle of tropical plants and trees quite formidable. He was glad that he had recently sharpened his swords, too as they cut quite readily through the brush. He could tell by the absence of any natural trails that whatever wildlife lived here, it wasn't big enough to make one. It was rather weird and he wondered if the entire area was as tightly packed with trees as what he'd seen so far. The ground itself was uneven, sometimes leading them downhill, but more often going up. And always there was volcanic rock. Yet, he could tell that he and his brothers were descending in altitude, if only a little.

As for Raph, he hadn't been the least bit patient about the nearly claustrophobic conditions of the jungle. And it had become increasingly apparent to everyone that he was rather desperate to take care of 'business', too.

"Phew, Raph! What'd ya eat last night?" Mikey complained, holding his snout closed and wrinkling his face. Both he and Donnie had found themselves walking upwind from their brother in red, who seemed to be adding to the methane problem of global warming. With a breeze blowing at their back, they were getting a rather smelly preview of his business.

"Look, we find a suitable spot, the problem's solved."

"Can't you just ease off the path and do it somewhere along here and then play catch up with us? I mean, how long will it take, anyway?" Donnie asked, his hand also covering his snout.

Raph looked around at the vegetation untouched by Leo's katana. The brush and trees were still thick and overlapping, dense with an almost solid mass of leaves and other growing things. There were buzzing and clicking sounds loudly proclaiming that creepy crawly, multiple-legged creatures resided deep within the shadows, too.

As Raph shook his head - and rather desperately, in fact, he muttered, "Nope, not goin' 'n there, no way no how."

"Hey, the big bad turtle's afraid of - what? Lizards, birdies, mangos?" Mike sniggered.

"Bugs," Donnie replied casually, grabbing a handful of leaves from a bush, as he walked next to Mikey.

Raph's eyes went to slits as he glared at them, "Don't go there, Don-san, unless ya want a sai where the sun don't shine!"

"Ooo, Raphy's threatening Donnie with a ninja enema!" Mike proclaimed in sing-song fashion.

"Knock it off, guys," Leo called back, "We'll find a suitable spot, Raphael, just keep your eyes and ears peeled for trouble, 'kay."

"Like the way I'll peel Mikey's head off if he doesn't quit the ribbing," Raph growled.

"Hey, stop competing with Jungle Bouquet and I'll call it a truce!"

Raph just growled in reply, but went silent as he continued to trudge along, sullen and quite uncomfortable.

With the tight growth of brush, trees, and other jungle-indigenous flora, as dense as it was, it didn't look as if it would thin out for quite some time. As Leo used his katana to cut their way through, Raph would take his sai to stab and swing the dismembered branches up and out of the way, allowing Don and Mike to take advantage of their trailblazing. It was a great system and, so far, they were doing well in creating a walk-able path, although Raph would be the first to say it wasn't going quite fast enough.

Nevertheless, the rainforest grew so tightly together that it obscured even the sky above. The trees grew close and overlapping, in graduating heights, where they created a virtual solid canopy of green. It was hard to tell where one tree ended and the other began. Worse still, the four brothers didn't have a clue as to where they were, other than the obvious fact that they were somewhere balmy and tropical. The high humidity, the fresh air, and the strong scent of 'fruit' proved as much. With the samples Donnie had taken from the various bushes and flowers they had passed, he had pocketed them for later evaluation. Yet, one thing he did tell his brothers and that was, they weren't in New York or even on the mainland of the United States anymore.

"Leave it t'brainiac to state the obvious! Could'a told ya that, Don-san!" Raph grumped, sounding more uncomfortable than before.

Still, hearing Donnie's assessment with where they were depressed Mike even more. "I wonder how Sensei is doing?"

"Oh, Mike," Donnie assured him, "You and I both know he'll end up at April's place if things get bad."

"But maybe he'll go looking for us, though?" his youngest brother worried.

"Well, he's a wise rat, Michelangelo. Sensei would never put himself in danger unless he knew for certain where we are and - I highly doubt he knows." Don sighed then and placed an arm around Mikey's shoulders, "He taught us how to live, only because he knows how to survive!"

That seemed to lift Michelangelo's fears some. Still, he could not help but worry a little.

Where the sun had better things to worry about than cutting through the impenetrable leafy umbrella of the jungle, none of them had a clue as to the time of day. Along the way, they discovered a few wild mango trees, too. In fact, it seemed to answer the question each had asked about the strange, sweet scent they had smelled back in the cave.

Just the same and much to their delight, each tree bore dozens of fully ripened mangos hanging from branches, ready for harvesting. The aroma was strong and therefore far too tempting to ignore. The boys didn't waste a moment.

Grabbing a few of the delicious orbs, they eagerly began devouring the orange, fleshy fruit with ravenous bites. There were contented sounds all around, too, but none more enthusiastic than Mikey's.

"Well, one thing's for certain, bros!" Mike remarked, his mouth full of the fruity pulp, as a sticky smile graced his mouth, "we're sure not gonna starve here."

Three heads nodded in agreement, but then Don eyed Raph as his brother in red began his third helping of mango. "Um, Raph?"

"Yeah," Raph replied happily, as he took a large bit of his fruit and began chewing.

"You do know that mangos are a natural laxative, right?"

Raph stopped in mid chew. His eyes went slightly wide when he realized just what his brother had meant. In the next moment, Raph had flung his mango to the ground, "Thanks for tellin' me!" he complained.

Donnie chuckled, "Heh, no problem, bro."

They pocketed some of the mangos and continued their march through the forest. Yet, as lost as they were, Leo knew that wherever they seemed to be, at least they wouldn't go hungry.

Thirty minutes later, they had found the clearing, where three of them currently waited for Raph to finish his business.

_How much longer is he going to be?_ Leo thought irritably,_we still haven't even found a place to spend the night,yet, and there's no telling what time it is, not with the cloud cover and all!_

He continued to stare across the way from where he leaned against a tree, waiting for Raphael to reappear from that side. His brother didn't waste a moment when Leo decided they would rest there. The vegetation at that point in their trailblazing had thinned out enough to where Raph could skirt in-between bushes and trees without any encounters with the resident insects. After he had disappeared behind a clump of bushes, he just sort of disappeared. Then again, Leo couldn't blame him, not with the preview he was giving everyone along their walk. Now, Raph had been gone for about twenty minutes and Leo was beginning to get impatient, if not concerned.

Suddenly and without any warning, something came charging through the bushes right behind Leo.

The poor turtle in blue nearly jump right out of his utility belt, as he whipped around, reaching for the hilt of his katana, "AHHH!" he screamed, his eyes wide with surprise, only to see his brother instead of something else entirely. Leonardo nearly shrieked, "**Give me a heart attack why don'cha?**"

Raph chuckled, grinning like the Cheshire cat, "Hey, you scream just like Mikey."

Leo's face narrowed at Raph, and more so, when he heard his brother in orange giggle, but before Leonardo could say anything in reply, Raph held a hand up, "Ah, keep yer shirt on, Leo. Had to find a suitable spot."

"Com'on, Raph," Leo complained, still peeved for his brother comparing him to Mikey. He waved an arm towards the side of the path where Raph had initially gone, "Couldn't you have found a spot over **_there_**?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Cliff."

"Cliff?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, cliff."

"What cliff?"

"The cliff's that's over there."

"Where over there?"

"Over there, where you pointed."

"**Where** exactly?"

"It's **exACTly** over THERE, dummy," Raph jabbed a finger towards the spot in question.

"Well how far is exACTly THERE, Raphael? Feet, yards, miles?"

"Exactly close enough ta drop kick you from _HERE_ to THERE. Now, I'm done, so let's go." And he began walking towards the area in question.

"Hey, Raph, wait, how come you're heading for the cliff?" Leo protested, catching up with his brother.

"Cuz it has a nice view and I think you'll like it - well, maybe not _like_ it, so much, but…" Raph glanced over at his brainy brother, still engrossed with his notes and field collections, and seemingly unconcerned about anything else, "but I know Donatello might get a buzz from it."

At the mention of his name, Donnie lifted his face from studying his hieroglyphic pictures and asked, "They have bees here?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Five minutes later and with the wind whipping at their bandanna tails, four brothers stood atop a cliff, the very cliff that Raphael had found. It was barren of all vegetation and they had to look back towards the jungle again to make certain there really were trees in this place. Then, as they turned their attention back to the cliff and the area beyond it, all four stood there, mesmerized with what they saw.

Dropping a thousand or more feet below from where they stood, the cliff-face seemed to grow right up out of an ocean. Far beneath them, frothy waves crashed against the rocky base as its thunderous roar reverberated incessantly. Left to right along the shoreline, breaker after breaker slammed into the mass of rock lining the coast, their energy vibrating the very cliff they stood on. Further out, numerous craggy stacks of basaltic rock rose abruptly from the turbulent surf, causing an angry froth to boil around the base of the edifices.

Yet, what set the scene even further apart from normal was the fogbank and cloud cover that virtually obscured anything else beyond the shallows, including the sun above them.

"Dude, where _are_ we?" Mike whispered as he gazed worriedly at the scene before him.

"Don't know, Mikey, but I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Raph replied, his own voice lost within renewed surprise and shock. Yes, he had seen it earlier, when he was trying to find a suitable place to do business, but now that he took the opportunity to really look at it, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"Nuh huh, not even ' Jersey. This place's too hot and humid - and it smells better, too." Mike then swallowed and pointed downwards, "Hey, look at that. Are - those boats?"

Beginning an eighth of a mile out and branching further into the ocean, scores of sunken sailing ships lined the coast. Like a barrier against an unfriendly approach, they seemed to guard the coastline, unmoved by the current despite the turbulent motion of the waters. Although all were underwater, a few had masts jutting up from the violent waves, some showing strange flags ripped to shreds by the wind. The rest, however, remained silhouetted between the raging ocean above them and the rocky bed of the seafloor below.

"What is this place, a graveyard for boats?" Mike asked as he scanned the waters below.

"Looks like it," Don replied, quirking an eye ridge.

"What's with the fog and cloud-cover, though? It's almost like the entire area is surrounded by it." Leo remarked.

"Don't know, Leo," Raph said, "maybe a storm's comin'? But it still doesn't give me a very good feeling, it's almost - otherworldly."

"Yeah, dude, it's like - a heavy, doomsday sort of thing," Mikey agreed and then asked, "Hey, any of you guys see sand, like in 'beach'?"

From where they stood on the outcropping, the quartet of mutants first gazed to their right, visually following the contour of the rocky coast. In that direction, they could see that the landscape, like the cliff they were on, shot straight up from the raging sea. It then stretched away from them for a mile or more before abruptly turning behind them and out of their line of sight. It looked as if it just stopped right there. In-between them and the land's end, they tried to find anything beach-like, but all they saw was the hard and inhospitable pile of volcanic rock lining the shore, as giant waves battered against them.

It was the same to their left, too, except not more than a mile from where they stood, a large headland interrupted the shoreline. It jutted out like a tumbling mountainous mass of black rock and spilled into the ocean by several hundred yards. In a staggered line beyond it and into the sea, smaller pinnacles made of the same material rose like sentries from the wild surf.

"Volcanic, again," Don explained. "Probably how this place formed, in fact."

As for the imposing bluff, it appeared to be made of the same material as the cave they had found themselves in earlier, as well as the very cliff they stood upon. The way the surf moved about at that point, though, seemed to imply that the far side, where they couldn't see, turned inland. The ocean was calmer there, the way an inlet would behave.

Don remarked, pointing, "Fewer waves might mean a beach just beyond that bluff." Then, Don sighed, "Don't know how we're going to get over there, though." He looked at Leo and remarked, "The volcano and vent we were in earlier is in the way; we'd have to climb over the top…" However, Donnie noticed Mike's eyes round with that thought, so he shrugged, "Or, go around."

Mikey sighed with obvious relief.

"What d'ya make of the ships, though, Don-san?" Raph asked as he jabbed a finger in the air at the derelict boats below.

"Don't know, but I'm certain there's a reef just below the surface. With all the wrecks we're looking at, it would explain why there's so many. Considering the fogbank, this area would be a death trap to navigate." Then, he smiled slightly, "I bet this would be a great scavenger's paradise, though,"

"Well, there has to be a beach somewhere 'round here," Raph said. "Maybe up there past that large black cliff, like you said."

"You both might be right," Leo agreed, "Let's see if we can find a way over there. Maybe we'll discover some more clues as to where we are, too." He hoped so, anyway. As much as he was starting to enjoy the change in scenery, Leo truly wanted to get back to New York, at the very least, to make sure that Sensei was all right.

So, determined to find a way home, Leonardo led his brothers back towards the jungle again. Once they found the spot where they had taken a break, Leo headed inland. However, Raph quickly grabbed his brother's arm.

"Ya don't wanna go in that direction - _directly_," he warned.

"Why?"

"Why d'ya think, bonehead?"

It only took a second and then Leo smiled, "Ah, yes, business. Okay…" he turned slightly to the left to augment his route, "we'll go this way, then!"

Chuckling, Raph concurred, "Good idea!"

Leading them further away from the cliff and coastline, Leo was glad that the trees had started to thin out. He really didn't like using his beloved katana as machetes. With the terrain now heading downhill, too, the walk was easier. It was steep at first, as if they were coming off a rather tall hillside or small mountain. Yet, they managed well enough. They were silent, too, with the only sounds breaking the quiet coming from the various insects and birds above them.

Parrots and macaws flew in abundance, their vibrant feathers adding a bright flash of color against the monotonous green. The birds seemed to be unbothered by the newcomers, too, as if they didn't have any predator-related fear.

"Strange that they don't seem afraid of us," Leo remarked, "and there's so many of them."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," Raph agreed. "Say, Don, anything in that noggin of yours that can tell us why that might be?"

"Probably because they've never seen mutant turtles before?" Mike stated the obvious.

"Cute, Mike, but - seriously, they seem to be following us. Considering how endangered they are…"

Don finally replied, "Well, most likely we are the first 'anything' bi-pedal they've seen. It's been said that when explorers reach a new, undiscovered land, the animals there don't know enough to be afraid of them. From the way these birds - and even the lizards and geckos are behaving - I think that's truer than not here. Very strange…"

Nevertheless, a while later they found the flora changing, as well. The trees and bushes were spaced farther apart, now than before, even more so than where they had stopped to rest. Bushes and trees still clumped here and there, of course, but not as densely as before. Now, instead of mango trees, the turtles found banana trees, and they took advantage of them, too. After eating their fill, they did as they had done with the mangos and kept a few bananas for their trip.

Soon, the hill's decline steepened even more and it heartened them, believing that it would eventually lead them to a beach. Consequently, their dreary mood lightened.

After a while, they heard the distant sound of rushing water and Mikey wondered aloud, "A river?"

Leo shrugged as he walked up ahead of Mike, "Might be…won't know 'til we're there."

Don's expression darkened a little in concern, however. Suddenly, he abruptly moved ahead of his baby brother to catch up with Leo. With a hushed voice, he remarked, as they walked side by side, "You know, Leo, I half expected to see more of a coastline back there at the cliff, longer even, but there wasn't. It's almost as if - that was all there was."

"Yeah, I thought so too," his brother replied softly, "Strange, huh?"

"Yeah…strange," Donnie murmured quietly. As he continued to walk beside his brother in blue, Don tried to reason it out, but no matter how he tried, only one conclusion came to him. It was almost as if…

"Hey, guys," he declared suddenly as he stopped, "I think I've figured out where we are…or, at least _what_ we're _on_,"

Leo halted his march and turned to face his brother, as Mike and Raph did the same, "Okay, so…where are we, Don?"

Donnie replied, "Well, I'm not one hundred percent sure, but…" he looked at each of his siblings and swallowed, before declaring, "I think we're on…an island."

It only took a moment for someone to ask the obvious, "So, any chance we can make one of those sunken boats back there sea-worthy?"

Groaning and shaking their heads, both Leo and Don turned to continue their descent off the mountain, while Raph rapped Mike upside the head for the third time that day.

xxxxxxx

****

_**TBC **_


	5. The Pond

_**DISCLAIMER **- Don't own the turtles, just the Island, the fish and anything else living in the Pond. _

_**ATTN: First, I would like to thank everyone who has already read this chapter.**_

_**However, you need to know that only half of it made its way onto FF! For some reason, lately when I load chapters into Document Manger, only 50 percent of them make it there. GAH...and when I uploaded a second time just a moment ago, once again only part of the chapter made it. I had to copy paste the chapter into the Edit/Preview window. **_

_**With that said, if you don't read the latter half of this chapter, the first part of the next one won't make any sense to you. **_

_**My advice to allwriters, though, is to double-check your Document Manager and your Edit-Preview window to be certain that your uploaded chapter or stories make it there completely. **_

_**The rest of this chapter picks up where Mikey glares at Raph for his comment regarding monsters in the lake. :0) For your convenience, I will bold that particular line, to make it easy for you. **_

_And, yes, in case you're wondering if I made a mistake in how I labeled this story, it **is** still going to be a crossover. I'm just having some fun with the island and all the 'beasties' (as Jack Sparrow would say) living there right now. Besides, this is a big island. To have the turtles fast forward to where I need them to be - in order to meet up with Jack and company - would be missing a wonderful opportunity to create a world. So, be patient. I promise a swashbuckling good time on the open sea - once I get there. :0) Probably by chapter 7, if not before. And, as it's turning out, this is NOT going to be a short story, but I do hope I keep it from growing to marathon or epic length.. _

_In the meantime, everyone get their swimmies on and start packing AK47's! _

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**Chapter 4 - The Pond **

"Yee-freakin- haw!" Mike cheered loudly as he cannonballed into the pond. A geyser of water immediately shot up from where he had just plunged, with gravity quickly claiming the skyrocketing deluge. Now, it showered down and well beyond its launch site, thoroughly drenching his three brothers as they stood along the shoreline.

Moments earlier and drawn by the sound of a waterfall, the four turtles were surprised to discover a pond beyond where the trees opened to a small meadow. Before any of his brothers could stop him,Michelangelo had taken off running. He yipped and hollered excitedly as he sprinted down the hillside. Unbuckling his utility belt as he ran, he dropped it and his nunchukus to the ground. As Mikey neared the bank and despite his three brothers yelling for him to stop, he did three forward handsprings, then gave one more cheer, before leaping into the air. As he sailed high over the surface of the pond, Mike balled himself up seconds before plunging into its waters.

By the time his brother came up for air, Leonardo was livid - and very, very wet. "GET THE _SHELL_ OUT OF THE POND, MICHELANGELO!" he yelled.

As Mike bobbed in the now-rippling lake, he grinned wide and exclaimed, "Hey, Leo, quit the gripping n'com'on in, the water's **great**!"

Leo threw his hands into the air, "Get OUT, NOW!"

"Ah, Leeeooo," Mikey whined playfully, barely suppressing a giggle, "Whhhyyy?"

"Because we don't know what kind of predators live in there, that's WHY!"

After trudging through dense jungle for several hours, Mike had become comfortable with his surroundings. He had completely forgotten the fact that they were still strangers in this place. Consequently, when he saw the refreshing waters of the pond, it had instantly appealed to the orange-wearing turtle, especially where the oppressive jungle heat had him wishing for home and cooler temperatures. In fact, Mikey thought it rather ironic that he, a reptile, would even wish for something cool in the first place.

Now, up to his neck in the refreshing pond, his eyes grew wide with a sudden understanding to what Leo meant. In the next moment and as his imagination kicked into high gear, Michelangelo found himself thrashing towards shore. Moving faster than he had when he threw himself into the small lake, Mikey now stood alongside his brothers, nervously shifting from foot to foot.

Dripping wet and fidgeting, even though he was perfectly fine, Mike couldn't help but swat at the imagined tentacles wrapping around his legs. As he did, he muttered, whining for real this time, "You - just - had to say that, didn't you, Leo! You had to act like there's some icky monster in there!" Images of giant octopus and squid now played mercilessly with Mike's imagination and he shuddered once, hugging himself protectively.

"Well, Mike," Don remarked, as he shook his head, "given our 'adventures' of late, how could you even ignore that possibility?"

"Idiot!" Raph snorted, critically regarding his youngest brother.

Mikey nervously studied the small lake, absentmindedly sucking at his bottom lip. His now-worried expression implied he really _hadn't_ thought about it. He honestly believed the island was safe, given the fact that the largest 'predator' they had seen so far had been geckos. Now, with Leo's warning, he was having an _'ah ha'_ moment.

Gulping, Mike shrugged reluctantly. "Guess I should have been more careful." He still couldn't help but moan longingly, though, "But, that water sure felt _good_!"

"I'm certain it did, Mike, but we need to be careful. You know that," Leo admonished lightly, "Just because we haven't seen anything dangerous or life-threatening yet, doesn't mean there isn't any." He nodded towards the lake, "Something as simple as a pond might hide the very thing that could put us in danger."

By this time, Mike had calmed down, helped by his brother's kinder words. Just the same, he took a few cautionary steps back from the lakeshore. At that point, the ground inclined up the hill, and now Mike stood a little higher than where he was standing moments before. It allowed him a better view of the pond. It was then when he noticed how clear the water was, too.

Craning his head a little, Mike tried to see how deep the lake went - and maybe determine if there were any monsters living there. However, his angle wasn't quite right and so Mike studied the shoreline to see if he could find a better position. His brothers seemed to be doing the same thing, too, each one mindful of the unknown nature of the meadow.

Mike saw that there were trees growing near the bank, but one in particular grew very close to the pond. The tree was tall. One of its main limbs, fifteen feet above the water, stretched far over the small lake. It was a thick branch, too, and looked as if it was strong enough to hold him.

"Hey," he pointed excitedly, "Maybe I can crawl out on that limb there and see what's swimming in the lake?"

Leo saw the tree and noticed how far its branch stretched out over the water. It would definitely allow anyone from that vantage point to look down into the pond. With how clear the water was, it wouldn't be too difficult to see what lived there, either.

"Well, I guess that might work," Leo smiled, "but make sure you take into account underwater caves and other hiding places, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Mike chirped happily and then he was off, sprinting down and around the lake towards his target. Soon, he was climbing the tree, scooting up the fifteen feet of trunk to the branch in question. However, as he began inching his way along the limb, Mike quickly discovered it was slick with moss. He had to move carefully, now, going slower than he wanted, but he didn't want to fall, either. As it was, he almost slipped at one point, causing Leo to call out for him to be careful. The youngest turtle quickly recovered his balance, though, and continued his progress along the branch.

After he went as far as he could, Mike went about the business of inspecting the lake, staring down into its depths and giving it a thorough look. After a moment,Mikey finally hollered to his brothers, "Dudes, this water's so clear, it's like it's not there at all! I can easily see the bottom!"

"That's great, Mike, but how deep is it?" Don called out.

Mike furrowed his brow, "Right, lemme see," and so he stared again at the pond. After a moment, "It might be twenty feet deep, maybe twenty-five. It's kind of rocky, too, like that volcanic stuff we've been seein' a lot of." He squinted and then declared, "an' I see lots of grassy stuff and reeds. Hey, I see FISH, but they aren't acting like there's anything down there wantin t'eat'em. In fact, they're kind of kickin' back."

"What about the waterfall?" Leo asked.

"Right, the waterfall, I was just going to do that!" Mike glanced over at the cataract. _Hmm_… Mike thought to himself. He noticed the fall wasn't the hard-core variety, not where the water obscured the rock face behind it. Even though enough spilled over the top to qualify it as a waterfall, its waters cascading melodiously to the pond below, it was sparse enough to show there weren't any caves there. Likewise, the pond seemed vacant of such ominous hiding places, too.

More than elated with what he had found - or didn't find, as the case may be, Michelangelo officially deemed the pond safe for swimming! He excitedly yelled out to his brothers, "Nothing bigger than a trout in here, DUDES!"

Happily, Mike shimmied back towards the tree trunk. Once there, the spry turtle leapt down to the ground, rolling as he dropped to break his fall, and then was up again in one seamless move. Running back to his brothers, he declared breathlessly, "That water's just calling t'us, Leo! Please, pretty please, can we go swimming?" Mikey begged with palmed hands, grinning wide, and standing as antsy as a kindergartner in line for recess. His excitement was contagious, too, as his brothers now smiled wide in reply. Each was just as eager to cool of with a swim as their youngest sibling was!

Not long afterwards, two of the four brothers frolicked like children in the pond. The other two did a quick perimeter check, just to be cautious. Yet, just before joining Mike in the lake, it was Don's quiet assessment to Leo about the kind of island he believed they were on, and it added some reservation to their momentary reprieve.

"Considering the kind of plant life we've encountered since coming out of the lava tube, we're somewhere in the Caribbean, or at least near South America," Don had reasoned, "There could be jaguars or even reptilian carnivores."

"What do you mean by 'reptilian carnivores?" Leo asked softy, as Mike regaled Raph with information about what was in the pond.

"Well, alligators, crocodiles, and anaconda, for one."

"That's three, Don, and how would we know if they lived here?"

"Not sure, but from what I can see arond the shoreline," he kneeled into the sand, "only birds and small lizards - like geckos - have been coming to these waters." Don looked around, "I don't think this pond has ever had anything bigger visiting it." He stood up now and nodded towards the rocky area where the waterfall was, "But, that doesn't mean I'm right. That precipice up there would be a good place for something like a jaguar to hang out, just waiting for the right kind of meal to come along."

Leo stared up at the volcanic hill-rise and replied, "Yes, you may be right,. but I can't deny that the pond looks inviting. You and Mike go on in; I think the pond is safe for now. Raph and I will go and check on that waterfall."

As Don turned to go and get Mike, Leo called after hint, keeping his voice low so as not to offend his youngest brother, "Oh, and double-check the bottom, too; he might have missed something."

Not more than a minute later, Don and Mike both discovered that not only was the pond clear as glass, but it was cool and pristine, too. And, compared to the high heat and humidity, never had water felt so good!

Nevertheless, Don was still certain that they were probably the first humans - or mutants - ever to disturb the small lake. It was even better than the pond back at Casey's farm. Moreover, true to what Mike had seen while on the tree branch, nothing bigger than a five-pound fish patrolled the rocky and grass cluttered bottom. In fact, the relative safety of the pond allowed the turtles a bit of a break from their anxieties.

While the two youngest played 'dunk the turtle', the two elder brothers explored the waterfall. The small meadow where the pond lay didn't seem to have any evidence of predators. Yet, as Don had pointed out, the area above the waterfall, where that end of the meadow hilled up to a height of about twenty feet as it ran up the mountain, was hard to determine. Leonardo and Raphael easily climbed the dry side of the waterfall's rough, volcanic face. With one katana unsheathed as a precaution, Leo led the way. As he neared the top, he slowed, with Raphael doing likewise - and with one sai in his hand. Yet, the moment, Leonardo crested the edge of the precipise, he discovered a brook at the very top and which fed the waterfall.

He stood there quietly, with Raph coming up alongside of him. Now, both brothers and saw how the stream seemed to stretch far back into the rainforest and out of sight. An almost impregnable forest of trees filled the hillside, too, growing right down to the stream's bank. The embankment, itself, appeared canyon-like as it ran away from the brook. The father back it went, the deeper the gorge became, as it pushed its way up the mountainside and into the jungle. It was obvious that there were seasons here where it rained heavily, thereby causing the brook to erode away the dirt and volcanic rock of the embankment. It would explain why the sides were so high.

"Bet when it rains, this stream gets pretty big, an' then this waterfall would be really somethin' to see!" Raph theorized.

"Probably, but then the pond would flood, I would think. But, where does the extra water go?" Leo wondered aloud. He searched the lake below them. It didn't take long before Leonardo spied a streambed along the opposite side from where they had set up camp. "There, half-way around. It flows out from that point."

"Where does it go after that,. though?" Raph wondered rhetorically.

"Hmm…" Leo smiled and looked over at his red-banded brother, "Probably heads for the ocean! Seems like we have another adventure to look forward to!"

"Yeah," Raph grinned.

"But, I think we need to rest. This is as good a spot as any we've seen so far," Leo remarked.

Now, both stood there,silent, as they listened tothe sounds of birds and other tree-dwelling creatures calling out to one another. It was truly a jungle in everysense of the word.

Then, with his face more relaxed than it had been in a long while, Raphael remarked, "Ya know, Leo-san, I sure hope we get back to Splinter again, but if we don't, even without the sun shinin', this ain't such a bad place."

Reluctantly, Leo had to agree with his brother. He knew that, between the fish and the variety of fruit trees, they could very well live quite comfortably in this place if they had to. Its serenity seemed to strike a chord, too, and that resonated deep within the turtle. It was a basic need to find solace and peace. Still, there was a deeper, stronger need to find home, too- a home that he was familiar with and one where his father waited for their return.

Convinced the area was completely safe, Leo and Raph sheathed their weapons and climbed back down to join their brothers in the pond.

_A short while later… _

"MARCO!" one voice called out.

"POLO!" came three voices in reply. Each one came from a different location from the other, with its owner treading water in anxious anticipation.

Leo, his bandanna turned around so he couldn't see, swam in the direction of the voices. He heard two distinct sounds of splashing, as if two of his three brothers were trying to swim away from him.

But, where was the third, he wondered silently?

He stopped and listened, using his ninja sense. After a moment, Leo heard a soft, quiet _'bloop'_, as if someone had just ducked underwater. To the average person, it would have been hard to hear, but Leonardo - as well as his brothers - had learned to detect such subtle, inconspicuous sounds.

Quickly evaluating the direction of the noise, Leo took two, quick strokes in that direction and stopped. Keeping his feet still and using his arms to stay afloat. he cocked his head a bit and listened. He then focused on the way the water moved below the surface and around his legs. Suddenly, he felt a ripple, a current, where there shouldn't have been any.

Without warning, he slipped underwater and out of sight. A second later and a few feet away, he abruptly resurfaced again. Now,Donatello struggled in his clutches.

As Raph and Mikey laughed at their brother, Donnie complained mightily, more surprised than he was angry. He thrashed and hollered in protest, yet his discontented shouts quickly turned to laughter, too.

As his brother released him, "Man, Leo, I can't get passed you to save my life!" Don chuckled.

"That's why I'm the great leader, Don!" Leo laughed, almost mockingly.

Instantly, the blue-masked turtle found himself under attack as a huge spray of water pelted him from behind. Mike and Raph continued their watery bombardment of their older brother, smacking the surface of the pondto create the blinding shower. This only enticed Don to join his beleaguered brother. Now, an all-out water war erupted between the two opposing sides.

A while later the four brothers tiredly dragged themselves up out of the pond. All four flopped exhausted along the grassy shoreline. Between the hike and the swim, they were plumb tuckered out. Side-by-side they lay, looking up at the dismally, gray, cloud-covered sky. They noticed it was getting darker, too, which probably meant that it would be dusk, soon. They were hungry, as well, but far too tired to get up and do anything about it. So, they just continued to lay there, silent, and more content than they had been since arriving on the island. Each wore a smile and before long, each had fallen asleep.

It was hard to tell how long he had slept, but Leo was the first to wake and it wasn't because he wasn't tired anymore.

The absence of light startled him at first. No stars above, no moon, either, nothing but the pitch black of a lightless, night-filled world greeted him. Even the clouds were too dark to see at first.

_Strange_, he remarked silently, _I would think some light from the moon would at least bleed through_…

Leo then heard a sudden movement coming from the rainforest a hundred yards away - and it startled him. He sat straight up and turned to face the noise. It seemed to come just beyond the boundaries of the meadow, too, opposite from where the pond was. He realized then that the noise was what had woken him!

Whomever the noise belonged to, though, seemed to be heading right where they were. It shuffled quickly along and sounded heavy, yet not seeming the least bit worried about someone hearing it. The creature then crashed through brush a short ways off as it entered the meadow. Leo realized with a sudden and growing trepidation that he and his brothers were directly in its path!

"Raph," Leo hissed quietly and desperatelyto his brother as he lay next to him.

Raphael mumbled incoherently in his sleep. But when Leonardo clamped a hand over his brother's mouth, shook him, and repeated his name right into his ear, the red-banded turtle shot straight up.Reacting from years of training as a ninja, he instinctively tried to grab at whoever had wakened him. Leo effectively blocked his attempt, though, and as he did, he hissed sharply, "Raph, it's me, Leo, keep quiet, something's coming."

Without asking what it was, Raph helped Leo rouse Mike and Don.

Quickly gathering their weapons, all four brothers quietly scrambled for cover. While they strapped their equipment on, they ran as fast as they could. At the same time, they tried to remember where things were, where the unusual lightless night made it too dark to see anything at all. Only in the deepest part of the New York sewer system was it as dark, but at least there, they were familiar with the tunnels. Here they were virtual strangers. Now they truly had to rely on their ninja training.

The only object that stood out in their recent memory as having even the remotest chance of aiding them was the tree Mike had climbed earlier. Remembering its exact location along the lake, Leo led his brothers to it. They were already in its leafy branches by the time they heard something slam into the base of the tree below them. There was a growl of sorts and a hiss, followed by another attempt for whatever it was to compromise the evergreen. After a moment, though, it seemed to give up. There was a short pause and then something charged into the pond, with the sound of water disrupting the quiet of the night! Various birds squawked in protest, as other creatures joined in the complaint. It was obvious that the locals did not welcome whatever had found its way to the meadow.

"Man, that was _too_ close!" Donnie quietly exclaimed.

"I don't know what that was, guys," Mike whispered nervously, his words trembling as he spoke, "but no way am I ever goin' in _that_ pond again! In fact, I think I'll spend the rest of my time here in this tree. Yeah, it's a good tree, I like it. I can stay here until one of you can find a way off this island."

"Ditto, Mikey," Raph agreed, "But it looks like Leo was right about predators, except your _monster_ prefers hunting at night."

**"Thanks, Raph!" Mike said as he glared at Raphael, even if he wasn't able to see his expression. **

"No problem, bro," his brother snickered.

Suddenly, they heard the lake erupt into a frenzied sound of 'something' splashing about. It was violent with an occasional low, guttural growl breaking the otherwise quiet. It went on for a while, long enough to convince the turtles in the tree that they were going to have to sleep there for the night.

Now, all four brothers climbed higher until each had found a niche in which to snuggle, balancing into it as best they could.

However, sleep did not come easily for them, though; at least not enough of it. By early morning, just as the meadow began to lighten with a new day, the grumpies had invaded the hapless four. As a result, each had all they could do to keep from snapping at one another.

"Would you _paleeze_ get yer arm outtamyside," Raph growled.

Mike, who hadn't been as successful in finding his own spot in the tree, had used Raphael as his support. His brother had found a rather large crook high up and had claimed it for himself. Yet, because of their desperate situation, Raph allowed his baby brother to lean in against him.

Nevertheless, enough was enough.

"Eitheh find another spot, Mikey, or s'help me I'll toss ya to whateveh's in that pond!"

"Okay, okay, it was dark last night, Raph; you were the best choice I had to sleep with," Mike grumped.

Just above them, Leo and Don busted up laughing, but Raph only shook his head, as he groaned, "Mike, try t'pick yer words more caref'ly, 'kay? That sounded wrong on _so_ many levels."

"What?" Mike snapped groggily, clueless to his brother's comment. It only took a second for it to sink in, though. "Oh, Give. Me. a break, Raph, As IF!" Mike grumpily remarked. Then, where he could now see better, he quickly began climbing further up in the tree to get above his brother. As he hoisted himself higher into the branches, he firmly placed a foot ontop ofRaph's head, using itas a step stool. Yet, before Raph could snap his hand up and try to grab onto Mikey's foot, Michelangelo was well beyond his brother's reach.

The orange-wearing turtle then stuck out his tongue, "Na, na, na, can't get me!"

"Plenty o'time for that!" Raph sneered, "you better like bein' in a tree, Mikey, cuz payback's just 'round the corner!" He leaned against the trunk, agian, and could almost envision his brother's second 'ah ha' moment.

Eventually, the meadow brightened to early morning. The clouds didn't seem as thick, either, and so the area seemed sunnier as a result. Now, Leonardo thought it was time to see what had invaded their little corner of paradise.

He worked his way down to the same branch Mike had used the day before and noticed the moss growing along the limb. Leoimmediately compensated by slowing his progress. As he edged his way ,along the branch, he stopped when he was directly over the pond. Ever mindful that falling into the water right then was NOT an option, he now inspected the lake.

Peering into the clear water below him, all Leo saw were the fish as they swam among the reeds and rocks. The day before, he had explored its depths, just after he and Raph had joined their brothers and before they decided on a game of Marco Polo. He didn't note anything unusual at the time and it seemed to him that it was in the same condition, now, as then.

Some of the fish appeared to be hiding, though. Leo saw that there weren't as many as there had been originally and he wondered about that, remembering how active the water had been during the night.

Yet, before he could figure it out, Leo glanced over towards the far side of the pond where the waterfall was. As he peered across the small lake and assessed the cascading flow of water, something at its base on the rocks, just above the pond, piqued his interest. It was a strange shape, unusual in that he didn't remember it as being there the previous day. It was lying low along the top of the rocks, a little left of the falls. Leonardo squinted to get a better look, trying to remember if maybe there had been a rock with an unusual shape.

Still, the form appeared oddly out of place, because the more Leonardo thought about it, the more he realized that it wasn't there initially. He stared harder, now, wondering what in the world it could be. It was lighter in hue to the rocks, grayer even, and its texture looked quite leathery.

Then, just as he thought of asking Don's opinion - fully confident his genius brother would know what it was - the thing on the rock moved!

Between wondering what it was and then realizing it was alive and moving, surprised Leo so suddenly that he jerked back.

And, as he did, in that same moment, Fearless Leader lost his grip on the moss-encrusted branch!

Now, Leonardo's fingers raked desperately over the slippery bark as his body twisted out of balance. He tried to find purchase on the tree limb again, anything to hold onto, but found none. He felt instantly foolish, too, for he never lost his balance, not ever! Yet the almost frictionless texture of the mossy limb made it impossible for him to grab.

The next thing Leo knew, he fell headlong towards the pond below!

And, instinctively, he called out. It proved to be a big mistake, too.

Alerted to their brother's plight, Raph, Don, and Mike turned in his direction, to see what was wrong.

Then, at the base of the waterfall, another head turned to look, too, but this one was long and filled with menacing teeth!

As Leonardo swiveled his head to glance back towards the falls, instantly the blue-banded turtle regretted making even a single sound. He saw a creature, long in body and snout, with an equally long tail, slip into the water.

In that moment a terrible word came to Leonardo's mind - and it nearly stopped his heart.

Gator!

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_A/N - Bwahahahaha! _


	6. Voyage

_**Disclaimer - **First up, my apologies to the four readers who managed to access the previously updated chapter 5, only to find out that I took it down, thereby quelling any attempt to review. Some of you contacted me and I explained why I had to remove it. For those of you still wondering why I did what I did, I realized a way of integrating the POTC characters with the story at this point in the telling. With that said, the next chapter after this one, will be what I had originally uploaded, before removing it. I hope its replacement here will appease you. _

_As before, I only own the story, with all other components - characters and certain POTC geographical locations - notwithstanding. _

_And, as before, my thanks and appreciation to Askre for beta reading! You rock, ASKRE!_

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**Chapter 5 - Voyage**

"Are you sure you know where you are going?" With her arms crossed, Elizabeth looked every bit lacking confidence as she felt towards the helmsman.

The man standing at the wheel eyed the young woman, dressed in a simple white shirt, overcoat, and knee breeches, _blessed_ knee breeches. Such outerwear on a wench did justice to them better than any man could, at least according to Jack Sparrow. Elizabeth's stockings had long lost their pristine white, though, now stained with seawater and the overall-bilge from the Black Pearl. She had even traded her uncomfortable French-made boots for the more practical buckle topped shoe, wide at the toe, and with far more traction for a wet environment of a sailing ship. With her hair pulled back and wrapped in a single pigtail, she looked her part, fitting in with the rest of the crew without drawing undo attention to herself.

Yet, as brash and as piratey as she appeared, Elizabeth was still a woman and, unfortunately for Jack, betrothed to another man. Yes, Jack would be the first to admit his true mistress was the sea, but he still enjoyed the company and beauty of a woman. A eunuch he was certainly not!

Still, as Elizabeth stood there, challenging him, he couldn't mistake the set determination of her jaw.

As his ship sailed through the warm, Caribbean seas, Jack gestured with the object in question, "Are ye say'n I don't savvy m'own compass, luv?" A breeze played through the exposed sleeve of his shirt, as well as buffeting against the brim of his tricorne. It forced him to momentarily remove his hand from the wheel to set his hat further onto his head.

He saw the girl roll her eyes, though, apparently amused with his question. She then gave him a smug look, her lips pressed to a thin smile.

"Yes, I do, since we seem to be going in circles!" Elizabeth then raised her arm, her hand and finger pointing towards the Black Pearl's aft. Jack's gaze followed in kind. Easy enough to see under the bright, summer sun, the Pearl's wake proved the girl's word, its wide arc showing - at least in that moment - that it was indeed going in circles.

Undaunted by her accusations, "Your doubts trouble me, they really do, lass." Jack looked straight ahead again, feigning hurt, as he continued managing the wheel, one fist re-grasping a handhold. His other held his precious and slightly hexed direction finder. With its lid flipped open and the dial quirking around -- seemingly undecided which way to point -- he studied his compass astutely. Holding it up for inspection, "I know ma'compass, Miss Swann, an' it knows me."

"And I know _you_!" Her voice spat sarcasm, drawing his attention to her once again.

Grinning, "I kind'a likes the sound of _that_, Miss Swann; **_you_** knowin' **_me_**, and all. It fancies -- potential." His smile widened, that irritating cocky smile, which, if Elizabeth were even half-honest with herself, she would admit to swooning, if just a little.

Maybe it was because of how the gold in his teeth sparkled. Or maybe it was the way one corner of Jack's mouth turned up just a little. It certainly wasn't because of his hygiene. She sighed and knew that despite his bad breath, it had to be his smile, that annoying way he would smirk. It was what charmed her initially, when they first met. That was after Jack had saved her from drowning but before he held her captive in front of her father, Governor Swann, and her suitor, Commodore Norrington.

But, all of that took place six months prior and Elizabeth's life had changed dramatically ever since.

Now, here they were on another adventure, but one in which the girl willingly chose to participate - and much to her father's frustration, too.

They had met secretly with the pirate, she and Will Turner, after a courier had relayed a message from him. It seemed Jack was planning on returning to the dreaded island to retrieve the gold and then return it -- and its spell -- to its rightful owner. He needed Will along, for he alone held the 'cure' to the spell, if it so decided to effect them again. Of course, it didn't hurt that Turner's skill with a rapier was as superior to his own.

"It never hurts to have a swordsman at your back, especially with skills such as yours!" Sparrow's complimentary words eventually tempted the ex-blacksmith and he had been more than eager to help.

As for Elizabeth, she refused to stay behind, cooling her heels, not with her husband-to-be gallivanting over the high seas. She was a woman of action and she knew all too well how Jack operated. Consequently, she insisted on coming along.

And whenever Elizabeth made up her mind to do something, she was unstoppable, something which vexed even her father. Nevertheless, he had long ago given up trying to control her. With his daughter's betrothal to the very man she chose to sail with, Weatherby Swann had only sighed and shrugged, hugging Elizabeth, and wishing her Godspeed.

Now, as she stood near the helm of the Black Pearl, she faced the man responsible for more adventures in her life than she - or Will Turner - had ever imagined.

Elizabeth huffed impatiently. "Well, either way, CAPTAIN Sparrow, how much longer is this trip going to take? Last time I voyaged there - "she shuddered slightly, even now the memory of almost becoming a blood sacrifice too fresh on her mind - "it didn't seem to take as long as it appears to be taking now."

Sparrow shrugged in that funny way of his, almost a drunken swagger, really. He chuckled under his breath, "Yes, it does seem that way, doesn't it, but th'compass --" he turned the box in his hand, pointing it to the left and then to the right, then straight ahead, before deciding 'left' was better, "- has had a mind of its own," he smirked at the girl again, "I only goes where it tells me to!" Gold teeth glinted brightly against the sunshine as his smile widened more.

The sound of shoes on wood broke into their confrontation, though, steps marching up the stairway behind her. Elizabeth never turned to see who it was, but remained where she stood. Soon, an arm snaked around her waist. She startled at first, but then settled into it.

"So, what're you two talking about?" Will nuzzled her hair affectionately.

"About telling Jack where to go!" Elizabeth gave Sparrow a cheeky smile and a coyly tilt head.

"Heh, very funny, Miss Swann."

"Soon to be _Mrs. Turner_!" Will reminded him.

"Ah, yes, of course, lad, how could I forget?" Jack gave a little laugh.

"Seems you keep trying to." Elizabeth rested into her fiancé, now, staring teasingly at the pirate.

"Still, ye may be betrothed to wed, yet together you are, both alone…on a ship…and far from daddy or noble priest." He wiggled his brows suggestively.

"And committed to wedding night tradition, MR. SPARROW!" Elizabeth now straightened her posture, her chin lifted defiantly, "I take **offense** to your - _implications_!"

"It's CAPTAIN SPARROW, lass, and my implications are based on assumptions that, according to your close physical proximity to your bonny intended, on a ship small enough to test your commitment, allows _me_ to assume that you have done away with your -- _said_ -- tradition!" He grinned, quite pleased with his retort.

Will Turner hesitated slightly, trying to intepret what Jack had just tried to say. Then, in an almost comedic delayed reaction, he quickly slipped between his beloved and the man at the helm. Posturing himself threateningly and pointing his finger into Jack's shirted chest, "I assure YOU that my intentions for Miss Swann have and always will be honorable, regardless of our future marriage. And," Will then lowered the tone of his voice and steeled his gaze, "remember, **Jack**, I am here out of courtesy to you!"

"And immensely appreciated, too!" Jack remained at the wheel, but took a small step away from Turner's challenge and poking finger.

"Then do us both a favor," Will repositioned himself to stand next to Elizabeth again, "...and keep your nose out of our business."

Jack gave a sideways purse of his lips, his eyes half-lidded under a raised brow. Glancing casually at his compass again, if only to change the subject, his eyes widened in surprise, "Hmm…seems m'compass with a 'mind of its own' has changed -- its mind -- again." In keeping with the new directions, Jack turned the ship's wheel to starboard.

The abrupt change in direction effectively forced Will to lose his balance, quelling his discontent.

"Nice trick."

"Yes, the compass does that occasionally," the pirate smiled, "and I shall tend to my own affairs, Mr. Turner, of that you can be assured."

Will chuckled and took his fiancé's arm in his, "Come, Elizabeth let's leave our CAPTAIN to _captaining_ this boat.

"Ship, it's a SHIP, are ya such a landlubber ya don't know the diff'rence?" Jack corrected eagerly.

"Yes, I do know the difference, Jack," Will smirked, "And it seems to be a big one at that; certainly big enough -- for someone with honorable intent!" Will Turner bowed and took his leave, gently supporting his betrothed by her arm. The two of them walked down the steps to the main deck below. Behind them, they heard Jack Sparrow shout orders to his men manning the sails of the Black Pearl and muttering under his breath about how "very inappropriate it is to have a woman onboard".

As evening descended and as dark fell over the ship - with only lamplight and the stars above to guide their way, Jack rested within the embrace of his captain's quarters. Sitting at his desk, the large aft window behind him, the pirate starred hard at his compass.

"You are a capricious instrument, you do know that, right? "

He snorted disagreeably, not really expecting an answer. Rhetorical conversations between the pirate and his hexed box were common these days. He wondered if his other concern, though, his other need, was intruding on his present quest. Tia Dalma had said, when she first 'sold' him the artifact, that it pointed to one's desire, the one thing that pricked most at the heart, but did he really 'desire' the treasure again? His only reason for retrieving the gold was to return it to where Barbossa had found it originally, thereby keeping others from its curse. Jack had felt the temptation of immortality when he fought Barbossa and where one did not die one could go just about anywhere, or do anything. Considering the efficient way the Black Pearl could outrun even the best the British navy could muster, Jack feared others might accidentally find the island and take upon them the advantage the curse might offer. Then, already well known among his constituents, Jack would have to be more than savvy with where he sailed. Just the same, he knew, despite Barbossa and his crew's desire to regain their mortality, there was a certain amount of enjoyment with how they had gone about their pirating. Something about the curse removed any semblance of civility and regardless of his profession, Jack Sparrow always saw himself as civil.

Hence, he had to return the gold and maybe, just maybe, find a bit of a reward in it, too.

"They would have to be happy t'get their gold back, right?" He asked himself, jiggling the compass again and sighed when the arrow danced between two points. "Capricious as a woman; that you are!"

Still, he wondered if the compass knew his time would soon be at hand and, consequently, the item was more than a little confused. A sudden rush of worry filled Jack's innards with icy dread.

"Maybe he'll give me a bit of reprieve. After all, I only captained for two years before I was so horribly mutinied." He smiled then, that cocky smile that had charmed more than his share of beasties, both animal and human. If Jack played it right, he just might procure more time from the one who held his soul in jeopardy. He could hope for that, anyway.

A sudden knock brought his attention around to the double door to his quarters, though, beyond which his men worked the deck and sails.

Straightening in his chair, "Yes?" Jack placed his compass down on the desk.

The door cracked open at first and then, the person on the other side confidently opened it wider.

"Miss Swann is ready, Cap'n."

"Ah, thank you, Mr. Gibbs." Jack hesitated slightly, before snatching up his compass again. He looked around and then stood. Addressing his first mate, "Remind me next time, Mr. Gibbs, to refuse any _wench_ wantin' to come along fer the ride." As Sparrow walked around his desk and headed towards the double door where Gibbs stood, "I personally don't like losin' my sleeping berth to a woman, 'specially when I'm not sharin' it with'er."

Chuckling, his first mate nodded, "Don't blame ye in th'least, Cap'n. If it weren't fer Mr. Turner…" The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, only to have his superior's next words cut his expression down.

"If it 'weren't' for William Turner, _Mr. G_ibbs, I'd be dead, at the end of a hangman's noose." Jack sighed, "I owe him fer that and…fer comin' along to ensure the same curse won't befall us as it did Barbossa!"

Gibb's eyes widened slightly, "Aye, you have my vote on that'un, no arguments from me - or the rest of the crew. Ya sure this idear of yers is a good'un?"

"Do ye want t'take the chance of someone else taken the curse and running amuck?" Jack smiled when Gibbs gave a more than enthusiastic shake of his head, "Aye, thought you'd agree t'that!" Sighing, he looked over his first mate's shoulder and noticed Elizabeth standing there beyond the doorway, with Will typically at her side. Jack smiled as he strode passed Gibbs and towards the opened door, "She's all yers, lass, just make sure you leave it as you found it, like before!"

"I appreciate your generosity, Captain Sparrow." Elizabeth eased passed the pirate into the cabin, escorted by her betrothed.

"I am only generous where it suits my throat; to have you bunk with the rest of me men would create more problems than a Kraken."

"CAP'N, PLEASE!" Gibbs eyes widened, almost in horror, going into whisper mode, "Even th' mention of that - _beast_ - is curse enough to th'men, ya knows that."

Smirking, Jack swallowed, "Yes, I know, which is why I said it to a woman. A double curse cancels itself." He looked at Elizabeth and saw her scowl. He offered her his lopsided grin, "No offense, lass."

She said nothing in reply, other than sneering a little, before putting more force behind her entrance. Once she was well inside the cabin, "Now, although I appreciate the use of your quarters, I think it is best that you join your men, now, CAPTAIN Sparrow."

"And your bonnie young man will join us, as well?"

"Of course, as he has for the past week." She glared at the pirate, now, "And I would appreciate it if you would stop making unsavory references with regards to our honor." Elizabeth tilted her chin up, "Something of which you might learn a thing or two, that is if you took the time to pay attention." Turning to face the pirate full on, her voice level and stern, "Now, if you please?"

Bowing slightly, "Of course," Jack nudged Gibbs towards the opened doorway and the two of them walked out and onto the ship's deck.

Will then faced his beloved, "I will sleep outside the door, just in case." He looked back and watched as the pirate and first mate headed past the overhang just outside the double doors. He smiled as he gazed at Elizabeth again, his voice low, "Although I highly doubt Jack would try, there are others in his employment that are not so - trustworthy, or honorable." He removed his rapier, "Any man attempting to cross this threshold, will meet the business end of my sword, on my honor I swear it."

Elizabeth cupped his face in her hands and leaned in to kiss him. Pulling back, she remarked, "Honorable beyond a fault. Thank you."

Will kissed her again and she accepted it, unaware that just outside the cabin, the air around the Black Pearl had become thick with fog, a fog uncharacteristic for that part of the sea and quite familiar, too. When Elizabeth and Will broke their embrace, the girl noticed the change in atmosphere. "We must be getting close to the island!"

Will turned and, when he saw the fog drift over the deck outside, "Still hours away, though, we're just in the beginning stages of it. I'm afraid, more like another day of sailing - at least, but…" he looked at his fiancé again, "at least Jack's compass finally cooperated."

"Isla De Muerta. The name still gives me shivers."

"This time, my love, it will be different."

"I hope so, because if we run into anymore bewitched pirates…"

"You forget, I am the cure for that."

Elizabeth smiled, "Yes, I know, but only if all the gold is still there, you do realize _that_?"

"And Jack's strange little box is the only way to get there, so I doubt for any company."

"Our only guarantee that our trip will be uneventful and uninterrupted."

"And that is the best of guarantees!"

Hours later, a creature more alien than the betrothed couple could ever imagine would find his life in jeopardy. And, not too many hours after that, a confrontation with a curse and a shipload of pirates would make his and his brother's situation stranger still.

* * *


	7. By Any Other Name

_**Disclaimer - **I don't own anything, honest, other than my one and only OC, and you're gonna meet him here in this chapter, too. :0) Everyone get your fork and knives ready, 'kay? _

_Thanks to Askre and Cynlee for beta-reading. You guys are the best!_

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**Chapter 6 - By Any Other Name!**

"LEO!" Raph yelled.

Mike, who had also seen Leo fall, called down to his brother in red, "What happened, why did he jump?"

"He didn't, he slipped!" Raph began climbing down the truck.

"Leo? Slip? No way!"

"The branch, it's covered with moss," his brother pointed to the limb in question.

Remembering his own encounter with the slimy growth, Mike cringed and ducked his head. All too late, he realized that he should have warned Leo before his brother climbed down to the dreaded branch. Still, it was hard to believe that Leonardo, of all people, would just fall off a tree, moss or no moss.

"What happened, though? Something must have distracted him, right?" Mike was anxious now, sitting just below Don as he studied the water below him.

"I think Leo saw something," Don remarked, "because just before he slipped from the branch, he acted surprised."

Then, as Don and Mike watched as Raph worked his way down the tree, "Hey, RAPH?" Mike yelled out, "Where ya going?"

"Leo's in trouble. I think I saw something go into water with him and it don't look good!"

A second earlier, Raphael had caught a fleeting glimpse of something moving by the waterfall. When he glanced in that direction, for just a second, he noticed a long narrow-bodied creature slip into the water. It went under the surface almost immediately, but Raph had a good enough look to know that it had a tail and a long snout and all he could think of was 'gator' - or maybe even 'croc', since he wasn't sure which species would even live here in this place. For all he knew, the portal could have sent them somewhere near Africa, South America…or even China.

Yet, one thing he did know and that was, from where he sat, he didn't have the right angle to leap into the pond to help his brother. There were just too many branches in the way.

Without taking time to worry about the consequences, Raph knew that he had to get to a point where he could jump into the lake.

"Trouble, what kind of trouble?" Don yelled out.

"Don't have time t'explain it t'ya, genius," Raph growled, now shimmying down the tree trunk fireman style, where there was a brief absence of branches.

Don looked over towards the waterfall and saw the once-mirror like surface of the pond ripple, the way it would if something had slipped into the water - something large. Suddenly, he saw a dark shape swim just under the surface as it headed towards Leonardo, with something like a tail swishing from side to side as it propelled the shape quickly through the water.

"Come on, Mike, we need to get moving!"

"What is that thing?" Mike had seen it, too, and his voice betrayed his concern.

"Don't know, but I agree with Raph - it doesn't look good!"

Following their brother's lead, Mike and Don likewise clambered down the tree trunk. They quickly jumped or swung from limb to branch to limb as the opportunity presented itself, until they reached a point where they could leap into the water. They weren't too far behind their red-masked brother, either, so when he finally made his jump, they followed suit.

In that split second before plunging beneath the surface of the pond, Leonardo realized the creature on the rocks had slipped into the water with him. His imagination now spun out of control as he began to panic, the word 'crocodile' creating in his mind scenes of dismemberment and torn limbs.

Suddenly, though, a memory came to him from his past, back when he was a child besieged with imagined fears. It was Master Splinter's voice, "_Be the calming influence in your storm, Leonardo." _ Just remembering his father's words gave the turtle not only comfort but focus, too.

Using what he had learned from years of training under the ninja master, Leo quickly re-centered his mind again. He focused on what he had to do rather than worrying about the unknown. Immediately, he surfaced and then turned to swim for shore. With his katana still strapped to his back, however, he found he couldn't swim as effectively as he needed to. Still, he knew he wasn't too far away from dry land. Maybe he could make it?

Well…at least he _hoped_ he would make it.

_Great, just great, I tell Mike to be careful and what do **I** do? Yeah, good going, Fearless!_ he chastised himself.

Then, the moment Leonardo began swimming for shore he heard something fall into the water to his left. Apprehensively, he whipped around, believing a second creature had been waiting in ambush. With one hand reaching for a katana, what he saw instead were his three brothers bobbing back up to the surface after plunging into the lake. His heart gladdened for a moment, but then he feared for their safety, too. Other than Raphael, Leo was the only one armed well enough to take on a beast like a croc or a gator.

Suddenly, a sound caused Leonardo to turn further around to his left, forcing him to face the waterfall. To his horror, the creature had more than cut the distance between them in half. In fact, it was almost upon him! With most of its body cruising just below the surface, the only part of the animal above water was its snout and long, rudder-like tail, which moved furiously back and forth, almost desperately, as it propelled the beast forward. Yet, it was the sound of grunting that Leonardo had heard. Now, it began to surface, preparing to strike, its mouth opened wide and lined with ominous teeth.

It hissed and grunted more and it was then that the blue-banded turtle prepared to face his challenge. He completed his reach for his katana, but as his hand wrapped around the hilt and he began to pull the sword from its sheath, Leonardo saw a sudden flash of red surge across his field of vision and intercept the attack.

The water in front of him then suddenly erupted into a frothy mass of shell and gray-green.

It didn't take long for Leonardo to realize, in the few second before the creature would have caught up with him, Raphael had surged forward and grabbed it. Now, with his arms wrapped tenaciously around the upper torso of the beast, he found himself engaged in a life and death struggle. The creature squirmed and writhed, snapping its jaws violently within the turtles' strong, stubborn hold. Suddenly, it ceased its resistance. But, before Leo had a chance to believe that Raph had subdued the creature, the animal began rolling in the water like a log, with his brother still holding on. It was a maelstrom of activity, with the red-banded turtle appearing every other second from the water as he rode the creature's back. Then, the animal stopped, but just as abruptly, it dove under the surface, with Raphael still holding on. A few feet farther away, it reappeared again within an explosion of water, as it shot up into the air, with Raph still riding it cowboy style. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared a second time under the surface again, taking the mutant turtle with it, just like before. Only, this time, as the seconds flew by, the pond became eerily smooth and tranquil once again.

Treading water to keep afloat, Leo found himself screaming his brother's name, joining Don and Mike's own worried exclaims, "RAPHAEL!"

A moment later, the water lost its translucency as silt, probably undisturbed for years, roiled upwards from the bottom of the pond towards the surface. At first, the murky brown cloud confused, Leonardo and he backed away from it instinctively. However, when he saw the opaque water tinged with red, he knew his brother was in trouble.

With his swords pulling him down like an anchor, though, Leo knew he had to get out of the water before he could even think about helping his brother. After all, he could do very little for Raphael if he drowned. Yet, Leo also knew that he didn't have the time to swim to shore, either. So, he did what he knew he had to.

Shrugging his weapons harness off, he grabbed both katana and then allowed their sheaths and straps to sink to the bottom of the small lake. Handing one of his swords to Mike, "Your nunchukus won't work in the water, Mikey; you're going to have to use a katana."

Wide-eyed, Mike looked at the implement with some resistance. Yes, he could handle a sword; Splinter had made sure that all four of them had mastered each other's weapon, as well as other 'tools of the trade'. Just the same, Michelangelo hated sharp things, which was why he had originally picked the chuk in the first place. Just the same, the orange-wearing turtle understood all too well that Leonardo was right; his weapons wouldn't work underwater.

Taking the katana in hand, Mike gave a grim curt nod of acceptance to Leo, "Right, no problem, bro."

Donnie procured a short knife from his belt, "Just in case my bo is ineffective."

Leo nodded approval. Then, good to go, he turned to face the point of battle, where twenty-five feet below the surface of the pond, Raphael fought the creature. Leo quickly looked back towards Mike and Don, his face set determinedly, "We're flying blind, guys, so get focused. We're going to have to sense where this thing is!"

Just as the three brothers prepared to plunge under the water to join the fight, a few yards in front of them Raphael and the creature exploded into a frothy mass of red and green. Gasping for air, and with one arm still wrapped tightly around the struggling animal's neck, Raph had his other hand firm on the hilt of one sai. Leo could see that his brother had the more abusive end of the weapon deeply embedded into the beast's throat, right behind its massive head. A liberal outpouring of red now painted the water surrounding the creature, its lifeblood spilling forth from where Raph had lodged his weapon. The animal struggled desperately, almost panicky, and tried to go underwater again, nearly succeeding, but then it slowed its exertion, as it weakened.

Leo quickly joined the battle, taking several swift strokes through the water with one arm, while his opposite hand held onto his sword. His other two brothers followed likewise, each brandishing their own weapon as they swam.

As Leonardo reached the point of battle, Raph turned the dying creature parallel to his brother and quickly slid over its back to the opposite side. He kept his arm firmly around the beast's head, though, as the animal snapped frantically at the air. Nevertheless, and as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, Leonardo drove his katana deep into the animal's flank behind the front leg where the heart was. He gave hard twist of the handle, causing the creature to cry out in pain. It lurched once in a desperate attempt to free itself, but then, finally after a few spastic jerks, it fell limp within Raphael's desperate and tired embrace.

Now, instead of a wreathing animal in his arms, he had dead weight - literally. Raph gulped another desperate lung-full of blessed oxygen as he tried to keep afloat, going under as the lifeless animal pulled him down. Still, through stubbornness or just exhaustion, Raph refused to let go, continuing his hold of the creature, as he managed to break the surface again.

"Let it go, Raph!" Leo yelled, "It's dead." He quickly grabbed his brother to help keep him afloat.

"No," Don hurried over and reached Raph before he could let the creature go, "It's too big for the pond; it will only poison the water when it decays."

By this time, Mike had joined them and had grabbed the animal's tail. Don brought his arm under the creature's stomach to heft it back up to the surface and between the two of them, they helped Leo and Raph tow it back to shore. It weighed several hundred pounds and took all of their strength to do it, but after a struggle, they managed to drag it up onto the sandy beach.

Feeling earth beneath him once again, Raph moved as far from the creature as he could before collapsing on the ground, spent of all energy. He laid there on his plastron, breathing heavily as he took deep shuddering breath. With his legs out-stretched behind him, he folded his arms under his head, resting his brow on top of them. Completely exhausted, Raphael shook uncontrollably.

It was then when Don noticed the ugly red marks running down his embattled brother's left forearm.

"Let me see your arm, Raph."

"Lemme alone for a moment, will ya?" his brother growled, offering Don a baleful glance, "I just had a near-**_death_** experience for cry'n out loud."

"I'll give you five minutes, but that's all," Don warned gently, yet resolutely, "Then we have to treat your wounds."

Raph didn't say anything and only nodded. He continued to lie there, though, resting with eyes closed, trying to learn how to breathe again.

In the meantime, Leo and Mike couldn't stop staring at the creature.

"It _was_ a gator!" Leo remarked breathlessly, his voice low and in awe. He knew he had come very close to becoming this reptile's breakfast. A sudden shiver ran through him, too, imagining what a horrific way it would have been to die.

With Leo's comment, Don's attention turned to the dead animal laying a few feet away. His interest piqued, he stood up and walked around the creature, bending down occasionally to look at its form. He saw that the front feet of the animal had scars, burn marks, and they didn't seem to be that old, either. It puzzled him. As he circled around the creature, he found the same thing with its tail, too.

"That's…strange," he muttered.

"What's strange, Don?" Leo asked.

"His front feet and tail both have burn marks, like it came in contact with something very hot or corrosive."

"What could have caused it?" Mikey asked.

"Dunno, Mike, it's just another mystery, but they look recent." Don then inspected the animal's head and ran his hand along its snout. He noticed how it sloped from its prominent forehead and turned up at the end, where the nostrils were. Don looked at its eyes, the pupils fixed in death. He noticed the bony, protruding areas in-between and surrounding each optic orb, the hard ridges giving the reptile the appearance of wearing glasses. They also seemed to be a clue for Donnie as to the animal's species, for he now began to smile a little. He next checked its teeth, which were ominous and many and quite easy to see, giving the crock wicked-like grin.

Donatello took one last look at the creature, before declaring, "It's a caiman, a spectacled caiman, which - if I'm not mistaken - is indigenous to Central and South America. Sometimes they can find their way to islands, though." He smirked, "They're quite adaptable and can handle a certain degree of salinity, if they have to."

Mike listened impassively to his brother's ramblings, too mesmerized by the creature to care. Finally, he asked, "It still looks like a gator t'me and just as deadly, 'specially with those **teeth**!"

"Yes, it may look like an alligator, Mikey," Don agreed, "but gator's are much bigger, growing to fifteen feet or more, whereas caimans average ten to twelve feet - from snout to tail." He paused as he gave one last assessment of the beast and then added, "This one is maybe nine feet all totaled - not quite an adult."

"Guess Leo should feel lucky, then?" Mike huffed and then asked, quite concerned, "So, now what? We thought this place was safe, but it seems that's changed?"

Leo sighed, "No place is perfectly safe, Mikey," he turned to glance at his baby brother, "but since there seems to be at least one caiman living here, there might be more, so we probably ought to be on our guard."

"Ya think?" Mikey grumbled sarcastically and hunkered as far as he could into his shell, which wasn't far enough for how he felt for the moment. He sat there on the grass, knees bent close to his body, his arms wrapped around them. He scowled at the dead reptile lying there in front of him and then, almost as an afterthought, Mikey pushed himself further away. "Gonna have nightmares for weeks, just know it!" he groaned.

Finally finding enough breath to speak, Raph turned over onto his side as he faced his brothers, "So, what now, bro's. D'we bury it or eat it?"

Mike's eyes rounded and he stood up in surprise, "Ew, eat one of Leatherhead's relatives?" He glared at the dead creature, "That's just - _gross_!"

"Actually," Don smiled at him, "Leatherhead is an alligator, this is a caiman. Considering our circumstances, I don't think he would blame us and, from what I've heard, they taste just like chicken."

Mike rolled his eyes as he threw his hands up into the air, "How come anything that sounds disgusting to eat always tastes like chicken? Can't it taste like something I don't like?"

"If it'll make it easier, Mikey," Raph chuckled, "I'll throw my voice and make it sound like a chicken, 'kay?"

Leo laughed, "If it weren't for your heroics a moment ago, Raph, you pretty much left yourself wide open for that one!"

Before Raphael could say something in rebuttal, Leonardo held his hand up defensively, "Seriously, bro, thanks for saving me."

"Yeah, dude," Mike remarked, "volunteering as gator bait wouldn't have been first on my list of things t'do."

Raph gave a small snort and finally allowed a smile. With a bow of his head, he accepted his brother's appreciation.

"Well, Raph," Don changed the topic "Times up. Got to get you disinfected."

Don had Raph return to the waterfall and, after they had climbed over and up the rocks, he insisted that Raphael place his affected arm in the cascading water. Although the power behind it was light, compared to when the fall was probably flowing at full capacity, it still irritated Raph's wound.

"Ow!" Raph yelled out, "D'we have to do it like this?"

"Yes, Raph," Don replied, "we have to flush out any bacteria." He shook his head, "In case it hasn't hit you yet, we don't have any modern plumbing here."

"Well, how long do I have'ta keep it like this," Raph complained, gritting his teeth.

"Just a few more minutes."

"A few? Like in how many is a few?"

"Longer than you're going to want to do it, that's how long."

Grumbling, Raph sighed, "Great. Remind me the next time we meet up with another gator…"

"Caiman."

"Whatever, Don, but remind me to toss Mikey in t'save the day. I'm takin' a vacation from any hero-work from here on out."

"Might have to take a vote on that one, brother."

Raph snickered, "Yep, gonna be Mikey's turn next, fer sure."

A short while later and convinced his brother's wound was effectively flushed clean, Don and Raphael returned to where Mike and Leo still sat by the crocodilian.

Thankfully, Don found that Raph's scratches were not as serious as he had feared. If they had been bites, instead, it would have been a different matter all together. Considering the amount of bacteria in the caiman's mouth, not only from eating live prey but from possibly eating carrion as well, infection was a serious problem. That was trouble Donatello did not want.

Retrieving a small tube of antiseptic from another of his pouches, Don slathered the ointment into Raph's wounds. Given their line of work, Donatello had learned the hard way to have at the ready a small assortment of first aid supplies and, more often than not, they had come in handy, too.

Without any other means to wrap his arm, though, Raphael had to sacrifice his red bandanna for the task.

As they decided on what to do with the dead caiman, Don suggested, "I'll gather up firewood while you two clean the kill. Mike can join me." Don knew all too well that Mike wasn't the type to watch his brothers gut the dead animal, not with how wide his eyes were now becoming. Mike was more than glad for his brother's intervention, too.

While they were gone, Leo helped Raph dress the kill. They carefully skinned the creature and then reduced the remaining muscle into steak-sized slabs. They stacked them onto rinsed palm fronds they had collected and prepared beforehand. It was obvious the caiman would provide far more meat than they could possibly consume, but at least they would have protein. The available naturally growing fruit would not be enough nourishment for them.

Of course, Mikey was more than happy to join Don in his hunt for wood. Dissecting a large animal like a 'gator' - as he insisted on calling it - was the last thing he felt like doing, especially considering their mutant 'gator' friend back home.

"It's a caiman, Mike," Don reminded his brother as they explored the surrounding forest.

"If a gator and a caiman are reptiles, Donnie, and they both have sharp teeth, a long tail, and a snout, then it doesn't matter what I call it. I don't think there's much difference in how a caiman kills compared to how the other kind kills."

Don sighed, "Yes, I guess when you put it that way, Mikey, there isn't much difference after all."

Nevertheless, he did notice his brother was more subdued, unlike how Michelangelo was the previous day, when he dive-bombed into the pond. Now Mike seemed more reserved and a little more on edge as he trudged through the mostly unexplored rainforest. When Don announced that they had enough firewood, Mike almost yipped for joy, practically making it a foot race back to join Leo and Raph.

Once they returned to camp, Don dug a fire pit into the sand along the shore and lined it with some of the abundant volcanic rock. He next piled the collected wood on top of that, placing them in the middle in a crisscross pattern. After he stuffed all the openings with dried grass and smaller, thinner twigs, Don produced yet another fortuitous tool from one of his pouches - a lighter. After he ignited the kindling, they soon had a roaring fire.

Once the fire calmed down, they gathered up some of the remaining branches, stripped them of their leaves and smaller limbs, and sharpened both ends. Skewering meat onto one pointy end, they jammed the opposite end into the ground at a slant, to where the meat would hang over the hot fire. In no time, the aroma of roasting caiman practically made the turtles crazy with hunger

Well, at least three of the turtles seemed eager to eat. One kept thinking about how wrong it was to eat his friend's distant relative; regardless of how hard or how often Donnie tried to convince him otherwise. In fact, Mike went so far as to accuse his brothers of being cannibals.

"Look, Mike," Raph turned a raised eye ridge to his baby brother, "Just be glad it's the gator we're eatin' and not somethin' else."

Mike gave a challenging glance at Raph, his arms folded defiantly across his chest, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well," a small, lopsided smile grew along Raphael's face, "hunger will make a person eat just about anything - or - anyONE!"

"Not funny, dude!" Mike huffed indignantly and scooted around to where he had his back to his brothers, now.

Nevertheless, despite their youngest sibling's complaints, when the meat seemed cooked well enough, three brothers ravenously dug in. Other than what they had for breakfast the morning before, while still in New York, all they had had to eat since arriving on the island were mangos and bananas. Meat, any meat, sounded far too tempting to ignore.

Mike refused to eat, though. Well after the others had finished their first helping, each had attempted to convince their brother to take at least one bite. Leo tried, Donnie tried, but still, Mikey snubbed their efforts.

Finally having enough of his brother's stubbornness, Raph threatened him, "I'm serious, Mike! I ain't gonna worry 'bout you any more than I have to, yer gonna eat if I have to make ya!"

"I'm NOT going to eat one of LH"s relatives!"

"It's not a friggin' relative, it's a stupid gator, dumb as they come, would make Leatherhead embarrassed to call him kin in any form." He lowered his voice, now, "If ya don't eat the cooked meat, maybe I'll dig up the entrails and organs and stuff them in yer mouth instead? How about THAT?"

Mike knew all too well that Raph always made good on his threats!

Reluctantly, the youngest turtle turned back around to face the now, glowing campfire. Tentatively and giving one unhappy glance at his brothers, Mikey reached over to the pile of meat resting on a palm frond. He hesitated after taking one of the smaller leaves to use as a plat, glancing over at Raph. His brother smirked and made digging motions with his hands, so, sighing, Mike took a small, pinch-size piece of the cooked caiman. He brought it up to his nose, which was already wrinkling in disgust. He hesitated again. When Raph acted as if he was about to get up and make good on his 'offer', the orange-wearing turtle stuck out his tongue to 'taste' the meat. He looked at his brothers, who were now on their third helping. He watched them with great interest. Mike then nipped at his piece of caiman, taking a small flake of it into his mouth, and working the miniscule portion between his front teeth.

As he closed his eyes, he chanted to himself, "_It's only chicken, it's only chicken, it's only ch…"_ and then Mike's eyes brightened. He scrutinized the remaining piece between his thumb and forefinger, cocking one eye ridge up in curiosity as he turned it this way and that. Then, taking a deep breath, he popped the rest of it into his mouth.

The more he chewed, the more Mikey's attitude seemed to improve, and, as he grabbed up a whole slab this time for himself and placed it on his 'plate', he turned to one of his brothers, "Hey, Donnie, you're _right_; it does taste like chicken!" Michelangelo grinned wide but after a moment, it slackened just a little, "But, ah - bros - if we ever get back to New York, we better not ever let LH know what we ate, 'specially when April cooks her famous 'chicken-surprise' dinner!"

"Hey, I hear they have an exotics meat store up near china town," Leo deadpanned, chewing his mouthful of caiman meat, "I bet they sell gator meat. If we get back home, we could make April's famous chicken dinner with a real surprise!"

Mike only shook his head and scowled. "So _not_ funny, dudes!"

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_Many thanks to all who've chosen to keep reading and especially to all who reviewed. _

_To Anonymous reviewer, though - who reviewed twice under that mysterious nom de plume, thank you for your gracious comments. I don't know if I totally agree with your assessment of my story, but I appreciate your encouragement just the same. I think that as writers, as I have discovered with my own _cooking_, we tend to analyze our work a little more critically than our reviewers would. I know I do. _

_Still, it is an ego boost hearing someone else make such glowing comments. :0) I just may have to widen my doorways, now, in order to get my head through them. LOL _

_As for your questions, who said Isla De Muerta was an island of dead 'things'? It's just a name, right? If you remember the various shipwrecks near the island depicted from the 'fish-eye' view in the first movie, it was an island unapproachable, certain to cause death and mayhem, unless one knew the right course to take. Any island with such features would earn, and rightly so, the name - Isla De Muerta! It would be certain destruction for any crew trying to traverse its waters. Of course, I'm not saying that this is the island the TMNT's are on, but I thought I would address that question anyway. :0) _

_Where you do not list your penname, I will use this space to thank you for reading and for reviewing! Be blessed._


	8. Land o' Lakes

_**Disclaimer - **Sorry, I still don't own them, but then if I did, I'd let all of you help write the comics and the cartoon. :0) Now, if that isn't an incentive to band together and buy out Mirage's copyright on the turtles, I don't know what is, just as soon as someone wins the lottery, of course. LOL_

_Anyway, this week my son is due home from pre-deployment training. For a while after that, I will be busy with everyone else in our family spending time with him. So, with that said, it may be a a couple of weeks or more before I update this or any other story; at least until I know of his safe arrival to where the Air Force is sending him and until I can get my head (and heart) wrapped around the fact that he'll be gone and not so safe for the next six months. I will appreciate all prayers and good thoughts to his protection, too. :0)_

_Be blessed._

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**Chapter 6 - Land 'o Lakes**

When they had had their fill, the turtles shared some of the leftover caiman meat with the pond's resident fish. Then, they buried the rest. They would have tried smoking some of the meat, thereby preserving it, but it would have required more time spent at the lake and they all were in agreement with getting back home.

Yet, it was when they were feeding the fish that Don noticed that there weren't as many in the pond as there had been the previous day - when they first encountered it.

"Probably because of the caiman," he had reasoned to his brothers, "It most likely fed during the night while we were still up in the tree."

Mike was quiet for a moment and then shrugged, "Better them than Leo, I guess, eh?"

They couldn't help but laugh at Michelangelo's comment, with Leo wholeheartedly agreeing with his youngest brother. Then, before showing them to the streambed he had seen the day before, Leonardo dove back into the lake again to retrieve his katana harness and their sheaths.

Of course, he was a little nervous going in, considering his experience that morning, but, once he was back on dry land again and had shrugged into his wet gear, Leo showed his brothers the creek. From there they followed it as it flowed away from the pond.

Meandering down the mountain slope, the small tributary led the four brothers into a denser part of the jungle. There, towering, overlapping trees shaded their walk - similar to what they had encountered right after emerging from the tunnel. Fortunately, with the cooler temperatures, the shadows offered the turtles a break from the ever increasing and oppressive tropical heat. Of course, all four brothers instantly went on guard, remembering the caiman they had killed that very morning. They wondered and hoped it would be the only one, too. In fact, there was one particularly dark stretch in their jungle hike when Michelangelo nervously withdrew his nunchukus. Instinctively, his other brothers armed themselves as well, yet not once were they challenged. In fact, with the exception of the various birds that flitted about, the largest creatures they encountered were geckos.

After a while, though, the forest thinned out and allowed more of the cloud-filtered sunlight to seep through the canopy of leaves above. It speckled the ground in a dance of soft shadows and subdued light. The turtles relaxed a bit, but still kept on guard. As they continued their journey through the patchwork of sun and shade, the buzz of insects and chirp of birds created a serene ambience for them. Consequently, as they walked, the brothers chatted amicably amongst themselves, where before - while in the darkest shadows - they had walked in silence.

As they continued hiking alongside the stream, they followed it as it widened to that of a brook, and eventually to where it grew into a full-blown river. Then, the gorge narrowed and the river became a torrent of rapids for a short ways, before widening again. When they encountered a waterfall, it forced the turtles to scale down the drier side of the drop. At the bottom, they found a pool, smaller than the one they had swam in the day before. However, the force of the falls dredged up too much silt, making the water too murky to tell if there were any fish - or caiman - living in the diminutive pond. Then, it flowed through a narrow opening at one end, spilling out and into another stream. It didn't take long before it grew in size and became a river once more.

As their trek took them further downhill, they discovered several side streams feeding into the main tributary. Narrower and shallower than the wider body of water, the turtles easily waded through them. Always, though, the larger river led Leo and his brothers further away from the first pond, now far behind them and tucked up into the rainforest above.

After another hour of hiking, the turtles found the terrain leveling out a little more. The trees seem to spread out some, as well, until the four brothers came to a break in the forest. Now, beyond them, was a small meadow. They hesitated, though, knowing that by stepping into the open, they would find themselves exposed to any kind of threat.

A moment past and then, "You see anything or hear anything…_dangerous_, Leo?" Mikey whispered, anxiously watching his brother in front of him.

Leonardo stood perfectly still, assessing the broad, spacious pasturage beyond. He gave no answer to his brother's question, but remained observant to the surrounding area.

Knowing better than to persist with his concerns, Mike walked up silently next to Don, while Raph stood in-between them and their leader brother. With Leo situated just inside the tree line, hidden from the meadow by the shadows there, Michelangelo gazed out towards the pasturage ahead of him. He could see sporadic clusters of trees, low-lying bushes, but with much of the meadow made up of green and yellow grass that grew as tall as their thigh. Large boulders of the all-too-familiar black, volcanic rock littered the ground, too, as if flung from the volcano's mouth eons ago, standing as testimonies to the great power of the once-active mountain.

For Mike, it was a rather unsettling sight to see. He could just imagine himself running for his life, while flaming volcanic missiles rained down around him. He could easily imagine the concussions they created, too, from hitting the ground, causing mini earthquakes.

_Donnie better be right about that volcano being dead,_ he thought ruefully to himself.

Finally, Leo glanced back and whispered, more sober than he had been since leaving the pond, "Everyone on alert. Again, it bears repeating that we are strangers here and don't know the dangers."

Suddenly, and despite his previous misgivings, Mikey chuckled, a little too loudly, in fact, "Hey, Leo, that kind of rhymes!" Then, he sensed something and ducked. He felt a breath of air from what could only be Raphael's hand, as it narrowly missed Mikey's head. This time, he had avoided another thwak by his brother in red, who had turned sharply around to do the deed. "Hey, Raph, I was only kiddin'," Mike insisted, defensively putting his hands up and taking a step back.

"It's all right, Raphael." Leo remarked, "I'm kind of glad Mikey's found his sense of humor again." He smiled at his youngest brother, understanding how freaked out he had been over the caiman. Michelangelo grinned back in reply.

Then, Leonardo faced the meadow again and, taking a deep breath, led his brothers out into the open. They continued along the river's edge, though, hoping it would lead somewhere - like the ocean. After a while, they discovered a drop in the land just in front of the river, as if part of the meadow had fallen away. Beyond it was another lake, much like the first one. Now, as they stood at the edge of the short bluff and peered down, Mike voiced what everyone else was thinking.

"Any crocs in this one?" His eyes were wide as he gazed eagerly into the waters below.

"Caiman, Mike, and - hard to tell, since we just arrived." Don smiled and then shrugged as he, too, looked around.

From where they stood, the lake sat a good twenty feet below them and the upper meadow. The river ended at that point, but because of the abrupt change in topography, it created yet another waterfall, feeding the lake at a steady pace.

Like the first pond, this lake was just as clean and clear, too. In fact, Mike was in awe with how beautiful it was.

"Wow, who would'a thought there'd be two like _this_?" Despite his misgivings with the predator in the first pond, he could not believe their good fortune. He didn't have any problems seeing the bottom of this one, either. The ridge from where he and his brothers stood allowed them to easily see that the lake was just as deep and clear as the other had been, but wider in girth. A narrow strip of sandy beach trimmed the shoreline, as well, yet, strangely enough, the sand appeared disturbed in spots, as if someone or something had walked across it.

To Don, the prints appeared ominously familiar, but he didn't say anything at first. Instead, he kept his eyes and ears alert as he walked up to Leo. Casually, Donatello whispered, "Need to be careful here."

"I know, Don, I see it," Leo replied softly, mindful that their youngest brother was already too edgy from the earlier encounter with the meat-eater.

"There might be more caiman here on this island. Even though there isn't enough foliage for it to hide in, it might be resting under the falls. "

"Right," and then Leonardo unsheathed his katana.

Mike, not missing Leo arming himself, was instantly alarmed, "Um, you guys - see - something?"

As his brother unhooked his chuks, Leo turned slightly in his direction, "I'm only taking precaution, Mikey. We don't want to be surprised, okay?"

"Yeah, sure dude, who wants a surprise with teeth, right?"

Raph chuckled, "Hey, Mike - Don an' I decided that the next hero gig is yours."

"**What**?" Mike went instantly wide-eyed and stepped back, waving away the offer, "No way, dude, no way, nuh huh. In fact, I think we need to keep going." Whether it was to verify the lake residents or out of curiosity, Mike now scanned the lake with nervous intent and as he did, he finally noticed something odd. There was a strange quality about the lake that just didn't seem right to him. There was something about it that made it different from the first one they had encountered. At first, it stilled Mike's voice as he tried to figure it out, his inspection of the lake becoming more curious than cautious.

Then, it finally occurred to him, "This lake doesn't have any fish!"

Don looked at his brother and smiled, "Of course it does. You're just not looking in the right place, Mikey." Don chuckled and patted his brother's arm reassuringly. After finding a path and with Leo leading the way - his katana at the ready, Don and his brothers walked along the top of bluff running just above the beach area, where it encircled almost the entire lake. It was almost as if the lake rested within a depression and it would have been a seamless one, if not for the fact that the rise didn't go all the way around its perimeter. At the far end, it stopped; where a gap, or break in the encircling bluff, created an opening. It was there they discovered another waterfall. From there, the fall cascaded a good thirty feet down to where the river began again. With the land now sloping slightly downhill from the lake, the tributary rushed through a cleft in the valley as it hurried away.

"It's almost like the mountain we're on plateaus at different levels, like a series of - steps…," Don thought aloud, recalling the first pond with how its stream led down to this point in their hike. Then it occurred to him, "Kind of like those stair-step lines in that hieroglyphic back in the cave,"

"So, it might be a picture of this area, then, rather than of an earthquake?" Leo turned to face Donatello.

"Maybe, or just a coincidence. Still, it is rather similar."

"Maybe the earthquake and the two hurricanes back in New York have something in common with this island's lake system?" Mike asked thoughtfully.

"Might be, Mikey." Don pulled out his notebook and pen, "Just the same, I'll make a note of it." He then began scribbling, recording what they had found so far. Once done, he returned his writing utensils to his pocket and then began walking back the way they had come.

After they had thoroughly inspected the pond from their vantage point, Don, Leo, and Raph finally had to agree with their youngest brother.

The lake was indeed devoid of fish.

"Could it be a simple matter of not having fish to begin with?" Leo wondered, "Maybe there's something wrong with the water?"

Don was silent for a moment as he pondered this new mystery. He kept staring at the lake, then at the sand encircling it, with how scattered and molested the sand appeared. He glanced back the way they had come, where 'their' lake was, and probably several miles up the mountain by now. He turned partway around in the direction they had been heading, noting the gradual descent in the terrain.

"The footing is steep, but not too steep for an animal that's desperate," he murmured.

"What?" Raph asked as he walked over to Don, "What are you thinkin', Donnie?"

"M'not sure," he replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "but, what if that caiman," he looked at Raphael, now, "had already been _here_ and depleted the fish supply. He would need another food source, right? Otherwise, he would starve. Instincts and his sense of smell would have him following the river up stream to the next body of water that had fish - which would have been our pond." He looked at the lake again and pointed at the disturbed sand, "He was here; I just know it. Look at the way the sand is, like something crawled out of the water or maybe into the water?"

"What difference does it make for us?" Raph asked, glancing over at Mike, who now nervously looked all around him, as he worked one of his nunchukus.

"It means," Leo interrupted, understanding where Don was going with his theory, "that if the croc or caiman isn't natural to this island, then it's been trying to find food ever since it arrived. If this is the first lake it visited, then that explains why there aren't any fish in it."

Don added, "And, if there are other ponds and lakes between this one and the beach, it's a good bet that there won't be any fish in them, either, because the caiman would have eaten all of them. It wouldn't have any reason for migrating up the mountain until it ran out of food. It's too early to assume, but if I'm correct, we won't find any fish between here and the ocean. If we want fish for dinner, we'll have to hike back to that first pond."

"Um, how long does it take for fish to hatch and become big enough to eat, Donnie?" Mikey asked, "'cuz, from what I could tell this morning, there weren't very many left back there. We'll go through them pretty quickly."

"You're right, Mike, and it would take too long for their offspring to get big enough for eating," Don glumly answered.

"That means - we'll - eventually - _starve_?" Mike's eyes went wide with genuine concern.

"No, not so long as there are mangos and bananas," his genius brother assured him, smiling.

However, when Raphael groaned, it caused Don to smirk wider, "Hey, Raph, don't worry, if the mangos give you the runs, then the bananas will stop them."

"Ho, ho, ho - aren't we funny, Dr. Poolittle," Raph harrumphed and then gave an indignant snort.

Leo chuckled, "Well, let's get moving, guys. I want to find that beach today if we can," Leo then turned heel and continued to head downhill once again.

The next path Leo blazed forced his brothers and him away from the falls. The rocks lining the river were gigantic and numerous and slightly more dangerous to traverse, so they took a less imposing route. Yet, for the most part, the lay of the land matched that of the river, so they were still able to follow it. They encountered more trees, as well, which adequately blocked their view of the river, but the sound of rushing water never quieted, letting everyone know that the tributary was still close by. Soon, they found themselves intersecting the waterway again and, this time, the flow seemed busier and more dangerous. As it careened down through the gullet with a mighty ear-splitting roar, the water spilled generously over boulders and trees that either had rolled there or were in the river naturally. Best of all, though, a fine spray of water drenched anything along its banks. Taking advantage of the natural shower, the four brothers walked as close to the ravine's edge as they dared, if only to get a wet reprieve from the oppressive tropical heat.

After an hour's worth of walking, they came to a fork in the river. The split in the tributary now created twin waterways. At that point, the ground rose a few feet to separate the river, with the water running greedily around it. The rocky rise, mixed with long-ago seeded grasses, told them that the immediate area had undergone some tectonic upheaval. Still, with both rivers near to equal in width, one side kept to the direction that Leo and his brothers were heading, its waters cascading down the mountain cleft into another brief run of rapids.

Contrarily, the second tributary turned slightly away, running more on an even keel to the lay of the land that ran above the first river.

"More than likely, the riverbed convexes at some point before this split, forcing the water to each side of the rise." Don theorized.

Just the same, the farther the second river went, the wider the difference was between the two, until the turtles lost sight of it as it moved out of the meadow and back into the jungle again. Yet, since the first half seemed to go in the direction that Leo believed led to the ocean, he opted to follow it. He much preferred accepting the steeper decline rather than the less strenuous path leading along the artery as it flowed back into the forest.

"You sure about this, Leo?"

"No, Raph, I'm not, but I don't want to split up, either, so we stay together. This side either leads us to the ocean or it doesn't."

"Well, ya better not get us lost." Raph looked around, his unease quite apparent as his jaws clenched and unclenched.

Don chuckled from behind his red-banded brother, "Raph, we're already lost, how much more lost can we get?"

"I just don't wanna to end up going in circles, s'all." The turtle in red snapped a glance at Donatello.

"Hey, if we're on an island, going in circles is bound to happen!" Mikey reasoned glumly.

"Yeah, well…still…I'd like to get to a beach, see something different, maybe there'll be a boat there and we can get off this island, did'ya think about that?" Raph shot his baby brother a stern look.

Mike hooked a thumb in the direction from which they had traveled, "Yeah, I did, in fact when we were on that cliff back there."

"I mean a boat that floats, dimwit."

"Or one that's patchable, so it's sea-worthy," Don added thoughtfully. "Maybe there's a town along the coast; that's where most people live when on an island."

"Assuming there are people here, but considering how unafraid of us the wildlife seems to be…" Leo remarked, "I'll be surprised if we do find civilization."

"You mean we might be on a desert island?"

"Mike, does this place look like a desert to ya?"

"I meant desert as in deserted, okay, Raph?"

"Yeah, I know whatcha meant, just messin' wit ya, s'all."

"Sheesh, lay off of me, 'kay? It's bad enough we might end up staying here for the rest of our lives!"

"That's not going to happen, Mikey," Leo assured, as he walked, "We'll find a way off, don't worry, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever, but if we can't find a boat?"

"We'll build one, then!" Donnie exclaimed, "There's certainly enough trees to make one and we have the right tools to do the job."

Mike smiled a little at that thought. "Leave it to you, Don, to think outside the box." He stepped over and then hugged his brother in purple, "Thanks for being so smart!"

Don chuckled, "No problem, Mikey; my pleasure, in fact." He returned the hug and then continued to follow the river as it led further down the mountainside.

After a while, the river narrowed, slowing its race through the valley. Soon, they came to yet another lake, this one much larger than any of the previous ones had been, and one without an outlet, in fact. Best to their ability to see, though - for it was quite deep and, therefore, its lakebed was dark and bottomless looking - it, too, seemed devoid of any aquatic life.

Yet, there was more to its attributes than just the lack of fish. There was a subtle smell in the air that almost seemed to scream death.

"This is _so_ spooky, guys," Mike whispered. "I mean, this lake doesn't even have vegetation in it. And look around you, there aren't even any birds or insects. It's - too quiet."

Without the turtles realizing it, the forest had grown silent…as silent as a graveyard, in fact.

Leo, Don, and Raph cocked their heads and listened. After a moment, they once again had to agree with their youngest brother.

"Can caiman go after birds and insects, Don?" Raph asked, staring in disbelief at the lake. "Because, there doesn't seem to be any here.

"Not unless it can fly and that reptile didn't have wings." Don then recognized that the forest ahead of them seemed thinned out, more so than what they had seen so far. A larger assortment of volcanic rock littered the ground, too. Trees that had thrived at one time now seemed long dead, their bark ash gray in color and crumbling from years of decay. "What happened here?" he asked softly to no one in particular. Don then looked back the way they had come and noticed the gradual decline of healthy forest. Not far beyond the dead or dying trees, he could see some green, where the wood was healthier, and it was then when Don suddenly realized he had missed the change entirely. He snorted; it wasn't like him not to notice things like that.

He gazed back across the large lake again, deep in thought. He sniffed and then his nose wrinkled. Suddenly, Donatello bent down, picking up a large dead stick, before throwing it as far over the lake as he could. The moment the branch hit water, steam began rising from around it, but it was not steam from heat as much as it was vapor coming off the wood. Then, the branch quickly began to disintegrate.

"Acid," Don declared excitedly.

Mike jumped back and sucked in a breath, "DUDE!"

Raph cocked an eye ridge at his youngest brother as he teased, "Wanna go for a swim, Mikey?"

Shaking his head vigorously, Mike exclaimed, "No way, but an acid lake?" he queried, his voice going an octave higher, "H-how?"

Don glanced his way, "Volcanoes create a variety of chemicals, Mike. Sulfur dioxide is one, as is hydrochloric acid."

"Uh huh," Mike stared at his brother, an angry expression now blooming on his face, "And I thought you said the volcano back there," he jerked his thumb towards the mountaintop behind them, "was **extinct**! How can it have sulfur or acid if it's **dead**?" Mike was mad, because he now believed his brother hadn't been completely honest with him. "You _lied_ to me, Don!"

"No, I didn't, Mike," Don shook his head, pointing towards the mountain "The volcano we were in **is** extinct, I'm sure of it, but this entire island has been formed by volcanic activity. That means there might be other areas that are still active. Fumaroles, or steam vents, are quite common around volcanoes. It's very likely this lake has one at the bottom of it. That alone can provide enough hydrochloric acid to poison the water."

"Any chance of it **_blowing_** up?" Mike grumbled as he glared at his brother, still feeling deceived.

"No, Mikey, no chance - at least…not right now." Don smiled mischievously. He couldn't resist, he really couldn't. However, when he saw his brother take a deep shuddering breath and then narrow his expression in discontent, Donatello thought that maybe he still should have tried harder, been more sensitive to Mike's insecurities.

Nevertheless, all four brothers turned and stared at the lake again and noticed that the stick had already disappeared.

Don then theorized, "I bet that caiman found out the hard away about this acid lake. It would explain his injuries." His three brothers nodded in agreement. "Although the smell alone should have warned him, he was probably too hungry to notice. Water means food to these creatures."

There was a long pause of sobering silence as the four turtles stared at the ominous lake. Suddenly, a small, thin voice broke the stillness.

"I don't think I'll _ever_ go swimming again - not **ever**!" Mike shuddered and then asked determinedly, "So, we done here, cuz, I wanna find a way off this creepy - whatever it is."

"Island,"

"Whatever, **_Don_**, I only know that I want off this island. I want out of here, be somewhere else, be ANY place else but **_here_**!" Mike turned and began marching down the hillside towards what he hoped was a better area. As he did, he muttered under his breath, "This whole - _vacation_ - has lost its charm." Throwing his hands around in frustrated gestures and now working his chuks, Mike continued to rant, "Between the cave and its weirdo heiro-whathaveyou, the volcano, that CROC! - an' **_I don't care what it's really called,_** _**DON**!"_ he yelled back, "…and now acid **_lakes_**, this is by **_far_** the **_worst_** '_adventure'_ I've ever been on!" He paused in his rant for a moment, never breaking stride or his chuk kata, to then add with an irritable shrug, "…well…maybe next to Don turning into a dinosaur!"


	9. Of Cliffs and Caves

_**DISCLAIMER - **Not mine. Not yours, either. TMNT's and their related counterparts are the soul property of others. I'm just borrowing them right now. I promise to put them back when I'm done. Thanks to anyone reading my 'little' fic and for any reviews you care to leave behind. _

_As always, thanks to Askre and Cynlee for beta-reading! You guys are the best:0)_

**Chapter 8 - Of Cliffs and Caves**

Without any type of tributary leading out from the acid lake, the turtles now had to use their own sense of direction to get to the coast. They quickly caught up with a still-ranting Mikey - "_Seriously, Dudes, I'm ready to swim back to New York!"_ - and continued to make their way downhill. However, Raph kept looking back. He humph every now and then as he walked, only to glance behind him occasionally.

Finally, he slowed his pace enough to where Don caught up with him. "So, Don-san, without an outlet, how can that lake not overflow? I mean, enough water's pourin' in from that waterfall to make up fer whateveh evaporates, right?"

Don was quiet for a moment, thinking, wondering the same thing, but he reasoned, "Might be an underground river that the lake drains into, or maybe - considering how dead everything seemed to be around there - the ground around it is porous enough to absorb the runoff." He shrugged, "other than that, Raph, I haven't a clue."

Raphael resumed his quiet march, again, as he, Don and Mike followed Leo through a small coppice of trees. After weaving their way in-between the close growth and emerging from the other side to a more opened pathway, Raph narrowed his expression a bit, "So, would it make sense to be a bit careful wit the next river or lake we come to? If that acid lake does have some sort of underground leak, what are the chances it won't affect other things?"

"Well, as we saw back there," Don explained, "if the next lake doesn't have anything growing in it, then we can safely assume the water isn't drinkable."

"Yeah, that works," and then Raph smiled and seemed a bit more confident. He relaxed again and his stride became more purposeful.

They soon found a small canyon cutting through the mountainside, yet it continued to lead down towards where they perceived to be the coast.

The brothers also discovered the going was not as steep as before or the jungle as dense, either. Still, the trees grew close enough at the top to obscure the cloud-covered sky and the little sunlight that managed to bleed through. Once more, they found themselves walking in shade. After a while, the turtles became hungry, where it had been several hours since they had breakfast. Happily, though, they found another grove of mango and banana trees growing quite readily along their path. Despite Raphael's grumbling regarding the diarrheic affects of the one particular fruit, they ate until they were full. Then, just in case they couldn't find anymore along the way, they packed a mango and a banana into their belt pouches.

Another half hour passed before they intersected with the second river. In fact, it surprised them so much, they cheered. It was like meeting an old friend, the way it caused the brothers' to smile. Fortunately, the river wasn't running fast at that point, allowing it to lap lazily along the bank. After Donnie smelled and then test-tasted the water, they took a moment to enjoy a good long drink. Once satisfied, the four ninja picked up the pace again. They followed the tributary through the small canyon and, after a while, they came upon another lake. It, too, appeared deplete of fish. But, unlike the one before it, though, it had a thick spread of waterweeds growing along the bottom. Don happily declared it healthy. They also discovered a similar waterfall, like what the other lakes had, that allowed the river to continue its course towards the ocean.

"Well, that pretty much settles it, guys," Don remarked as they continued past the lake, "That caiman wasn't from around here, which creates a problem." He seemed concerned, now, "I really thought that maybe we were close to Central America. Now I'm not so certain where 'here' is."

"Nice bein' on the same page with ya, Mr. Britannica." Raphael smirked, "Cuz yestaday, I was already wonderin' where 'here' was."

"Funny, Raph, but - seriously, I'm having trouble figuring out our location. We could be just about anywhere!"

"But, _Donnie_, you're supposed to know _everything_?" Mikey whined, adding just a little extra to his lament.

"Hey, Mike, you want cheese with that?" Raph glared at his youngest sibling, "Put a cork in it, 'kay? We're all confused about this, so Don's allowed."

Don rolled his eyes impatiently, "Mikey, I'm sorry about my comment at the acid lake, but it's not my fault we're here, okay?"

His brother grinned sheepishly, "I know, Donnie, I know, but - but I don't have anyone else to blame." Mike smiled wider, "S'kay, Don, I think if I hadn't been so freaked out back there, I might have laughed at yer joke." He then shrugged, "And I'm not mad atch'a anymore."

Don smiled and sighed, quite relieved, now that Mike had forgiven him. He gave his brother a one-arm hug and they seemed to be friends again.

Not long afterwards, they heard the sound of wind rushing up the draw. Its airy melody added to the ambiance of the ever-moving and melodic river. They wondered, though, if a storm was coming, and where there didn't seem to be a breeze, it puzzled them. It was rather odd, in fact, but they dismissed it for the time and continued their steady pace through the jungle.

After a while, Mike groaned, "Are we there, yet, cuz my feet are getting tired."

"Maybe we should rest for…" and it was then when Leo, leading the way, came to a break in the jungle. Just ahead of him, he saw another wide-open space, only this one was completely different, alien even, almost an exact opposite from what they had seen so far.

"WHOA!" three voices chorused behind him.

"Did we get zapped somewhere else and didn't know it?" Mike wondered softly, as he and his other two brothers followed Leo out into the open.

They all did little turns, gawking at the strange scenery around them. As they moved further way from the trees, almost immediately they noticed a change in the ground. In fact, it forced them to have to climb up and over a shallow rise.

"Volcanic rock!" Don declared as he scuffed his foot at the hard, black surface.

"Imagine that, who would'a guessed, eh?" Raph shook his head sarcastically.

Just the same, the landscape seemed made from the all-too familiar material they had observed so much of throughout their journey. The gray and black substance had replaced grass, trees, and brush with its hard, stony surface, spreading out and covering everything in its path. Under the mutant's feet, the rock was smooth and rope-like, though uneven and haphazard. Consequently, they had to be careful where they walked. As they studied the surrounding area, it was almost as if a lava flow had erupted from some point and poured over what might have been a valley, destroying everything in its path, before cooling to its hardened state. There were several dead trees, too, blackened and leafless, growing right up out of the basalt in weird, unnatural angles. A small cluster of birds currently gathered along the top of one of the dead trees, their twitting and singing ringing against the stone-covered meadow. Then, as if startled with the turtles' arrival, they took flight as one towards the jungle area.

Ignoring the birds, Don turned and glanced back towards the forest from which they had just emerged. He noticed the river had diverted around the hardened lava field, with the tributary moving away from them. It suddenly disappeared as it banked around a basaltic rise, blocking further viewing of the waterway. Donatello's interest, however, went to the opposite side of the tributary, his eyes following the contour of the field in front of the forest as it led up a mountainside. He then smiled.

Pointing to the towering, cone-shaped, deforested pinnacle beyond, and stretching a thousand or more feet above them, Don announced, "Well, it seems to me that we're on the other side of the volcano …which means…."

"BEACH!" Mikey yelled enthusiastically. He now leaped about in excitement, pumping the air with both fists, as a huge grin creased his mouth.

It was then the four turtles realized that the wind they had heard earlier was, in reality, the sound of surf. Big smiles now spread generously across each brothers' face. The more they listened, the more they recognized the sound of breakers coming from the far end of the rocky landscape. Unfortunately, piles of what was once a flowing but now solid mass of magma blocked their way, little black hills rising up and obscuring what they wanted to see most. Yet, they could not deny the familiar and comforting sound of crashing waves, the throaty roar bellowing up from beyond the bleak horizon. It was far too loud for it not to be close by and the salty smell of ocean only intensified each turtle's lust for sand.

"Last one there is…" Mike hollered gleefully as he took a running step towards the direction of the sound, only to have Leo pull him back

As he grabbed his youngest brother's arm, Leonardo warned, "Mike, stop, remember the pond? We don't know what's on the other side of this - this stuff."

Don's voice of reason added to Leo's, "And you might cut your feet, too. Although what we're standing on right now is smooth and all, it can change to something very sharp, Mikey, like glass."

For a long, pregnant moment, Michelangelo stared at the foreboding sea of black rock before him. His expression was as sober as it had been that morning, after they had dragged the dead caiman to ground. Then, he sighed before moaning, "I **_so_** hate this island!"

A while later and as they carefully climbed over the barren landscape, they found the surface less imposing than Don had first feared. He called the type of magma, pahoehoe, and then he launched into an explanation about the different types of lava rock.

"_Is there anything that turtle doesn't know?"_ Raph grumped to himself, his voice low so as not to be overheard.

"No," Don casually replied.

"Oh yeah, well, tell me, Mr Know-it-all, where are we?"

Don pursed his mouth a bit and raised an irritated eye ridge. Ignoring his brother's mild jab, though, he went back to his dissertation, continuing to drone on and on about the nature of lava.

Despite Don's boring monologue, it failed to dampen any of his brothers' enthusiasm for the anticipated beach. As the four continued climbing their way over the blackened 'meadow', their mind on body surfing and maybe a little fishing, each step brought them closer and closer to the sound of crashing waves. It emboldened their expectations, too; until they reached the point where the edge of the field stopped - and where they discovered they were standing on yet another cliff.

Not far below them, maybe fifty feet or more, monstrous breakers crashed against an all too-familiar coastline. Unlike the first cliff they found the previous day, this one brought them closer to the waves, frustrating them. As they stood there and gaped, a fine mist of water billowed up and showered the quartet of turtles.

Nevertheless, like the first cliff, from where they stood they could see the same imposing and nearly impassable rock littering the coastline. All four brothers sighed, now, as they gazed dejectedly at a rough and dangerous sea.

"Well, guess I won't be swimming my way home after all." Mikey then slumped to the ground, hugging his knees forlornly, as he stared out across the water.

To make matters worse, the same fogbank encircling their location only added to their feeling of disappointment. In fact, what they were feeling was unlike anything they had ever felt before.

Defeat, total and incomprehensible defeat.

As it had been the day prior, no matter how far up the coast they stared, all they saw was a shoreline shooting straight up out of the ocean. Not one stretch of beach, no spit of land met their expectant eyes. All they could see was the formidable and inhospitable volcanic rock lining the base of the endless expanse of cliff. The island almost seemed to laugh at their bleak predicament.

"I was sure there would be a beach here."

"Hey, Don, don't worry about it."

"Leo, I have to worry, 'cause if we can't get down to the water…" Don's voice rose as he began to feel a surge of panic, realizing that without a beach, they wouldn't be able to build a boat and then…well, then they may never see New York again.

Or, Splinter, for that matter.

"Hey, brainiac, did'ya think that caiman got to all those lakes by climbing this cliff? I didn't see any wings on 'em, when we dressed him out. Think about that!"

Donnie stared at his brother in red for a moment, surprised that Raphael - of all people - would even make such an observation. He thought about the predator's path up the mountain, how it depleted each lake's supply of fish, as it made its way to the upper pond where they had first encountered it. He had been as certain then, as he was now, that the creature was not native to the island. Suddenly, Raph's words finally made sense. Don realized the reptile predator had to have found a way up from the ocean. A smile slowly formed as it creased his face, "You're right, Raphael, that gator had to have found a beach of some sort to get up here."

"Caiman," Mikey corrected and then he smiled at Donnie as his other two brothers chuckled.

"Yes, that's correct, Mike, _caiman_." Don playfully pushed at him. He then clapped an arm over his sibling's carapace in a friendly gesture and laughed, "And I'm sure there's a path somewhere around here that will lead down to the sea." He looked back towards the coastline and noticed that the large, black headland they had seen the day before was now directly to their right. In fact, at that point, it seemed to fill the horizon. "I think that's the same promontory we saw yesterday."

"So, we give up trying to find out if people live here?" Raph seemed unhappy with that thought. He knew that where there were humans, there might be transportation, such as a boat or a ship.

"I think this island is uninhabited." Don sighed, "The animals and birds aren't the least bit afraid of us. But, regardless, unless we can find that path the caiman used to get up here from the ocean, we can't make a boat, and then we'll be stuck."

"Maybe that cave in the lava tube can get us home again. Maybe it's a two-way interdimen…whatever the heck you called it." Mike looked behind him and towards the way they had come, "which would mean we'd have to walk all the way back up the mountain to get there."

"No, Mikey," Leo insisted, "we'll explore this area, first, while we're here at the coast, even if it means going all the way around the island, and then - if nothing turns up - we'll head back." The leader glanced to his left and suddenly pointed, smiling, "Look, a waterfall; must be from that second river we followed."

The fall flowed right over the edge of the cliff to the sea below, maybe a quarter of a mile away, spilling down the side of the rocky bluff like a long, silvery ribbon. Mesmerized by its beauty, the four brothers stood there for a while on the bluff in awe, watching it, and then they looked out across the sea, silent and contemplative. Seagulls rode the updrafts and sailed high overhead, screeching and carrying on noisily, and making each turtle wish for wings. Yet the fog surrounding the island seemed to be thickening and growing darker by the minute, which told Leo that a storm might be coming.

"We'll have to find shelter soon," he announced and his brothers nodded solemnly in agreement.

Then, as he glanced at the mountainous headland to his right, he brightened. "Look at the way the water moves around the farthest point of the cape, where the water is deeper. It's almost as if…"

"There's a cave." Don brightened, "That's IT, there has to be a cave!" Don insisted, "And a big one, too, considering the way the water is acting." He smiled wide, "I bet that caiman found his way up here from there!"

"Investigate?" Raph grinned.

Three voices loudly and eagerly replied, "**Investigate**!"

A short while later they reached the promontory. It was even bigger than what they first assumed it to be, wider, too, and not at all accessible.

"Well, what now?" Raph stood there, one hand resting on the hilt of his sai. "Can't climb that stuff, not without cuttin' our feet."

Leonardo gazed up at the imposing mound of rock and sighed, "Guess we keep looking. I'm certain we'll find a path of some sort."

They walked all around the inland edge of the rocky peninsula, trying to find some evidence of an entry point. Then, just when they thought they had checked every nook and cranny, they came around a pile of rocks they hadn't checked before and found the ground sloping downwards along one side and towards the ocean. It was then the mood among the four brothers lightened. The farther they walked along the natural path, the louder the waves became, as if they were approaching sea level.

However, instead of finding a path to what they hoped was a hidden beach, they found one that led into another lava tube, only this one did not have the smooth walls as the first tunnel. This one appeared made from the same sharp and abrasive rock as the headland, what Don had described earlier as 'a'a; a rougher, chunkier form of hardened lava. The tunnel was narrower than the other one, too, so they had to be careful with how they moved through the tube. Consequently, there were many moments when the edge of a carapace would scrape noisily against the rough texture of the wall. At times, the rock would bite into an arm, too, and then someone would yelp in surprise, or curse - as in the case of Raphael.

Nevertheless, they soon found themselves passing through a darker part of the tunnel. The further in they walked, the darker things became, and soon they had to employ their flashlights. It was only a few paces after they had switched them on, though, and then the tunnel cornered to the right. That was when they found the path ahead of them brighten up slightly, allowing them to switch their flashlights off. Then, not too many paces beyond that, the tunnel opened up into a monstrous cave.

As the other cave had been, this one seemed drenched with spotlights of whatever sun had managed its way through the clouds outside, piercing through holes in its ceiling. The only difference was, there seemed to be more 'chimney's' in this cave than what the first one had.

Just the same, it wasn't the cave or its size or even the amount of light that startled Leo initially, but what it contained. As his brothers followed from behind, Leonardo couldn't help but exclaim, his voice soft and wondrous, "Wow!"

Then, as Don, Raph, and Mikey came up alongside of him, curious as to why Leonardo was so surprised, their eyes went equally as wide, too - and before anyone could tell Mikey to be quiet, he blurted joyously, "**COOL**, **TREASURE**!"

**_To Crayazee Annoymous_** _-_ _Although we are somewhat restricted to commenting on reviews - and, sadly, I'm going to have to make this the last one, lest I tempt the powers-that-be at F.F. and end up having my story pulled - I want to thank you for your amusing comments. Yeah, I think I missed an opportunity for a Mikey-Moment with the locals. LOL I loved your take on it, too. Very funny stuff, there. Thank you, too, for your thoughts and prayers re: my son. _

_Any further comments to you re: any review you leave in your wake I'll post on Stealth Stories. I think you know where that's at. If not, check out Mickis' fan fic page where she has the link to it._

_Once again, thank you:0)_


	10. Crazy Man and His Rum

_**Disclaimer - **All TMNT and POTC characters owned by others._ _I'm just borrowing them for a moment. _

_This was a much longer chapter (over four-thousand words), but I have decided to break it up. So, consider this an interim before segueing into the next 'adventure' for Jack and company. _

**_And, I evidently DIDN'T upload this chapter and instead uploaded The Shot Heard 'Round the Cave. So, this is all new, folks, from what I originally put up. Sorry for the inconvenience. My bad. 'Shot' will appear almost immediately, so my apologies for those who have already read and were kind enough to review. Hopefully, I won't lose either on my stats, but I have to upload this before 'Shot'. Sorry._**

**Chapter 8 - Crazy Man and His Rum.**

Several miles across the sea and taking great pains to steer a safe course through the treacherous waters, Captain Jack Sparrow worked the ship's wheel. In his other hand, he held his compass, opened and revealing its hexed dial. With the fog-shrouded ocean and the sun more or less obscured by the clouds, the magnetic box was his only way to discern which direction to sail.

"Is it holdin' steady, Cap'n?"

"Yes, steady now, Mr. Gibbs. You are keeping an eye on the sunkens, right?" Sparrow glanced at his first mate, as Gibbs stepped off the stairs and onto the helm.

"As best the derelicts will allow, Cap'n."

"Just watch for masts, keep your deadlights at th'ready."

"Tis the ones I can't see that worry me most, though, Cap'n."

"You do have a lookout in the nest, correct?"

"Aye, of course, Cap'n. I has young Fisher up there, a good eye has he."

"Only one?" Jack cocked one brow in concern, a worried tone in his voice.

Gibbs snorted, "No, Cap'n, the boy has a set, of course, wouldn't do to have a look-out with jus' one eye."

"Double assurance, then." Jack smiled and relaxed again, as he studied his compass once more, "It's finally behav'n itself. Must be on the right path. How long now?"

Gibbs replied, "An hour, if that, sooner if we could go full sail."

"No, as much as I'd like to, Mr. Gibbs, not with these sunkens to worry 'bout. We stay the course, despite Miss Swann's hurry t'get the gold t'where it belongs."

"She keeps naggin' at ya?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "Pity, a lass as beautiful as she, talkin' her way to ugly. I've never met a more determined wench." He then smirked, "Lucky for Will Turner, eh?"

Gibbs chuckled and remarked, "What is it they say, Cap'n? Behind ev'ry good man…"

"Is a case of good rum!" Jack grinned, causing both he and his first mate to laugh. Then, the pirate stole a glance at the man, "Ya haves the rum well guarded, right?"

"Aye, Cap'n, I doubts very much our fair lass will venture into the men's hold - not by 'erself."

"Good, just checkin'. Though I doubts she'd have any reason t'burn down me ship. Would strand her it would."

"I agree, indeed, sir."

A bit of a pause spanned between them, before Jack's eyes brightened expectantly. As he licked his lips,

"You happ'n t'have a bottle on ya?"

"Thought you might be fancy'in a swig or two," and then Gibbs brought one hand around from behind him, a bottle of rum in his grasp

"Or three!" Jack smiled. After his first mate popped the cork, Sparrow took the proffered container and quickly brought the opened end to his mouth. He drank deeply of its spicy contents. When he swallowed the last of his share, he handed the rum back to his first mate, wiping his mouth dry with the sleeve of his coat, "My gratitude, Mr. Gibbs. Amazin' we're surrounded by water and I still get drier than a beached whale."

"Aye, me too," and then the first mate brought the bottle to his own lips and drank just as thirstily.

Suddenly…

"MR. GIBBS!"

The feminine voice rattled the old sea dog and he quickly tried to hide the bottle behind him. Yet, a telltale dribble of brew running down the man's chin betrayed him. He quickly wiped it away and tried to turn as innocent an expression as he could to the woman.

Yet, Elizabeth Swann easily noticed the bottle of rum. "If you get drunk before we arrive, Mr. Gibbs …"

"I'm only quenching me thirst, lass…"

"He can drink if he wants to, missy," Jack interrupted sternly, casting a sideways glance at the girl, "It is MY ship, after all, and I am the captain."

Elizabeth, with Will behind her, wrinkled her nose as she stepped towards the pirate, "And I can already tell that your bad breath is spicier than normal, so it seems you've quenched your thirst as well?"

"My ship, my rum, don't forget?"

"Yes, hard not to," she sniffed again and then asked, "So, how much longer, CAPTAIN Sparrow?"

"You seem t'be in hurry, missy, like a hungry shark."

"My wedding day continues to wait until Will completes his commitment to you. The sooner we finish with this, the sooner we can return to Port Royal."

"Ah, I see, eager are ye?" Jack smiled, wider this time but he held up his compass, to change the topic, "She's steady and has been for a while. Won't be long, another hour, if that."

"Good, and then what?"

"Then, we gets the gold aboard the Pearl and set sail…for South America."

"And that is where we'll find the Aztecs?" Will asked, as he came alongside his fiancé.

"Remnants only, those who survived the conquistadors' slaughter a 'hunderd' years ago. Mostly priests and priestesses protecting what gold they smuggled past Cortés nose - some of which was the cursed kind, as ye know."

"And reason for our travels, but I thought - the Aztecs were extinct?" Elizabeth queried.

"Mostly assimilated into other tribes, except for a few who kept pure, to themselves, hidden, which is why we're going to South America."

"Is that where they are?"

"Might be, don't really know, luv, but it's where Barbossa was headin' after he mutinied the Pearl." Jack snapped his compass shut and shoved the box into his coat pocket, "It's too bad the rest of the crew didn't escape arrest - or a dance with Jack Ketch, otherwise, we'd have one of 'em tell us where to go." He smiled coyly, his brow cocked mischievously, as he tilted his head. He shrugged on shoulder, though, "Still, we have to start somewheres an' South America's as good as any right now."

"I hope you're right." Elizabeth turned a frustrated profile towards the pirate and gazed out towards the prow of the ship, her jaw set in apprehension. She could see Sparrow's crew working tirelessly along the deck, with some of the men up on the crossbars of the masts, keeping watch or tending sail. The ship itself seemed immersed within the murky atmosphere of the enchanted sea, wisps of fog drifting aimlessly along each level of deck. Somewhere beyond where they sailed, lay the dreaded mystical island, Isla De Muerta, and the cave in which the cursed gold awaited. The young woman sighed, "this fog is quite unsettling; brings back too many - bad memories. The quicker we get what we came for, Jack, and get out of here, the better I'll feel."

"Ah, yes," Jack nodded, understanding the girl's haste, now, "the almost-blood sacrifice, but - no fear - your beloved can do the job, if'n we find ourselves cursed." He smiled wide and nodded once in confirmation.

"Most likely," muttered Gibbs under his breath, his voice low and unsettled. He moved off, however, leaving the trio behind. Slipping silently downstairs to the deck below, he took the bottle of rum with him, with the container of brew tucked firmly under one arm.

"At least this time we go in alone." Turner remarked, breaking the momentary silence. Wrapping an arm around Elizabeth's waist, "I know that no one followed us and no one will, not through this pea soup." He gestured his head towards Sparrow, "not without that compass."

"Aye, I sense no foreseeable problems on th'matter, either." Jack Sparrow then chuckled, as he muttered under his breath "_other than chance losin' me rum again to the loony lass."_

The pirate stole a glance at Elizabeth as she settled in against Will Turner. While the two of them watched the course ahead, Jack sighed and turned his thoughts to his next task, keeping one hand on the ship's wheel. He knew, after finishing with returning the treasure, that he still had one more problem to deal with. It was a problem of eternal magnitude, too, one requiring him to find a way inside a prison, a job fit for only someone addled in the brain.

Yes, Jack Sparrow knew there were adventures still waiting for him, and it helped, just a little, to know that he was crazy enough to do it, too.

xxxxxxxxxxx

**_A/N_** _- Yes, I did say this would be a riveting chapter, but it was also originally longer and included the TMNT's - before I decided to break it up. I love torturing my readers, don'cha'know. :0) Call it taking a writer's privilege. By breaking it up, it gave me an extra chapter as a buffer, thereby reducing the stress of trying to create new and exciting stuff. The extra room will allow me extra time, in other word, and a quicker update for all of you. So, next chapter…yes, I mean it this time…will have the 'riveting' part. _


	11. The Shot Heard 'Round the Cave

**Disclaimer -** Yes, this is a repeat. I goofed. Blame the fact that I numbered my chapters differently and will, from now on, start my prologues as chapters. To do otherwise only begs for mistakes like this. The previous chapter (10) is a new one, POTC centric, in fact. Enjoy.

Anyhew, where was I. Oh, yeah...let me know when Eastman and Laird put the copyright for the Turtles up on EBay. Until then, they own them, I don't. I don't own EBay, either (darn it).

Thanks to Cynlee for beta reading, too. Her reaction to the end of this chapter made my day. Hope it makes yours! (inserts evil laugh).

I deny all responsibility for any heart palpitations caused by the reading of this chapter. And, it only gets worse from here, folks…for a while, anyway. (Snicker)

**Chapter 11 - The Shot Hear 'Round the - Cave **

"Michelangelo, **KING **of the world, the **CONQUEROR **of many, the **MIGHTY **ruler of all, stands before his humble subjects and **DECREES**…"

_'thwak'_

"Ow, Raph, cut it out, I was just…"

"Making a fool of yerself, Mikey!"

"Am NOT, Raph. I'm jus'havin' some fun." As his brother chuckled, Mike retrieved the crown Raphael had just knocked off his head with the well-aimed gem. After shoving the royal diadem back on again, the chuk-wearing turtle picked up the tossed jewel and rolled it around in his hand, "I didn't know rubies could get so big. This one's almost as large as my palm!"

"An' yer brain, it seems," Raph snickered, picking up a wide-banded bracelet and inspected it, before shoving it onto his arm.

"Funny, Gator-bait."

"Thought so, m'self, Half-wit."

Earlier, when they had first explored the cave, they discovered several oil-soaked torches strewn along the ground. Piling rocks around each to help keep them upright, Donatello used his lighter to ignite their flammable top end. Now, flame-induced light danced merrily along the walls and upper reaches of the cavern. It joined the scant bit of sunlight piercing the holes high up in the ceiling and, combined, they revealed the stalactites hanging there. It had given the cavern a surreal beauty, but the treasure mountain situated in the back center of the grotto soon overwhelmed three of the four brothers' curiosity. They spent the next half hour exploring the amazing trove of riches.

As he stood before a pile of assorted treasures, Leonardo held up a sword. Where he stood, a beam of filtered sunlight knifed through one of the holes in the ceiling above and reflected off the silvery blade. An assortment of precious jewels adorned the pommel of the hilt, each gem set in gold. With the handle and quillion free of any decorations, however, it easily allowed Leo to take hold of the implement. Then, his amused expression faded to something more serious. As he stood at the ready, he took a few cleansing breaths. Then, Leo hesitated slightly, bowing his head towards the blade, which he held upright in front of him. In the next moment, he launched into a simple one-sword kata.

Leonardo worked the weapon through a series of exercises, now, turning in circles, cutting through the air with the sword, and testing the rapier's weight and balance. He increased his speed for a moment and then, finally, slowed to a stop, apparently satisfied.

"Well, Leo?" Raphael asked curiously from the other side of the cavern.

"It's a good sword, beautiful, too, but - " Leonardo reached back with his other hand to unsheathe one of his beloved katana, it's 'shring' echoing sharply within the rocky confines of the cave. Compared to its bejeweled relative, it seemed plain and drab. Now, holding it out in front of him, and comparing the two, "it's not even close to equaling mine, though. It's heavier, for one thing, and awkward." Leo smiled, "I'm sure it would look nice over a fireplace, though."

He then gave the decorative weapon one last regard before respectfully laying it back down on the pile from where he had found it. Assessing his katana, Leonardo then returned it to its scabbard, strapped along his carapace.

As for Don, he didn't care for the treasure as much as he did for what appeared to be discard antiquities littering the ground. He wandered the less-cluttered part of the cave, picking up different artifacts, such as short swords and out-dated clothing. After inspecting them, he would put them back down, only to move on to the next interesting find.

Occasionally he would come across a skeleton or two, with their bones scattered, as if blown apart. It puzzled him, but he ignored it, figuring the local crabs had something to do with the skeleton's disperal. With most of the flesh eaten away, then, it didn't surprise him, but there was something else that did. Don recalled the cave in New York, where they found the three mummified skeletons. Their dried skin and retained hair proved they had been in an airless environment and for some time. But, here, though, in this cavern, the bones looked freshly cleaned, not even a strand of hair remaining on the skeletons. They should have been brown with age. It was strange and just a little bit unsettling for Donatello.

_Seems someone else found this cave, too, which means there might be a town nearby. _he murmured.

Don held out hope for that, of course, but decided to explore the cave a bit more before mentioning it to Leo.

Then, as he looked across the shallow channel of water from where he stood, he suddenly spied something. It was a stone chest. Yet, what intrigued Donatello most was the intricate design decorating the object. The carvings looked all too familiar to him. Unfortunately, though, where it sat situated on a raised platform of rock and, therefore, elevated, it was hard to see what the chest contained. With his interest piqued, Don waded through the narrow saltwater stream, soon climbing up to where the large coffer sat waiting.

As he reached the chest, Don quickly recognized its exterior design as Aztec in origin. Then, when he peered inside the stone container, his eyes widened with surprise and he couldn't contain his excitement.

"Hey, guys, you're not going to believe what I just found here!"

"What is it, Don-san?" Raph asked, slipping a second band onto his other forearm. Pearls and diamonds encrusted the three-inch wide bangle. In fact, it matched its twin hugging Raph's opposite arm, where he had placed it just below where he had tied his red bandanna.

At first, Don just stared at his brother, not quite believing his rough and tumble sibling would even bother with jewelry. He wanted to smile, laugh even, but he realized that all of them were rather smitten with the enormous wealth in the cave.

Finally, Donatallo collected himself and pointed to the item in front of him, "I've found a chest filled with gold coins!"

Not wasting a moment and easily confirming their growing lust for wealth, Raph and then Mike raced through the stream to where Don stood in front of the stone container. There was a great deal of splashing, too, as they forded the waterway. By the time both turtles reached the other side, where their brother in purple waited, they were dripping wet.

The moment Leo caught up with them from the opposite side of the mountain of treasure, Raphael's eyes were already wide with greed as he stared into the large cache of gold.

Suddenly, Mikey's exuberant voice broke the silence, "Wow, would ya look't that!"

Leo glanced over at Raphael and Mike and shook his head, "Seriously, guys, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're both bewitched with all this treasure."

"No we're not, jus…curious, s'all."

"Well, seems like it's more than that to me, Raph."

"It's NOT, Leo, but look 'round ya; have ya eveh seen so much loot in yer life? I mean, even the crown Mikey's wearin'll probably bring a half-mil on EBay and now this…this _gold_?" He pointed towards the chest's contents.

"Well, I doubt very much we could get an internet hookup out here," Don interrupted, "and without it, the only ones we have to barter with locally are the geckos - and I don't think they have anything worth trading for."

Don thought of telling Leo about the skeletons, then, but before he could, Leo chuckled, "Okay, guys, let's focus for a moment. Even if we could take some of this…_stuff_…back to New York with us - provided we find a way off the island in the first place," Leo sighed, "where oh where would we go to trade it in? And in doing so, would we end up creating more problems?"

"What d'ya mean, Leo?" Raph folded his arms across his chest and huffed.

Leo continued, gesturing with his arms, "I mean what if we do get back home and take some of the treasure with us - even these gold coins. Who knows how long any of it has been here…" Leo glanced around, "Some of it looks as if it's been here for awhile, yet it's obvious there's treasure here that isn't very old at all. What if it's stolen merchandise and it's important." Leo thought about the decorative sword he had held only a moment earlier. "If we go and sell it on EBay and where we'd probably have to go through April to do it, if any of it is suspect, all we'd end up doing is getting April in trouble, because…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, Leo," Raph sighed, defeated, "because she can't tell anyone about us and because of that, she'd end up under arrest for selling 'stolen' property." He slipped the armbands off and dropped them reluctantly to the treasure-strewn floor. Sighing, Raph watched them as they rolled against a golden chalice, its brilliant yellow hue providing a radiance all its own.

"Right, and there's no way I want to get her in trouble, regardless of how rich we might become. It's not worth it." Leonardo shivered suddenly and he looked around, quite startled. The air was as humid in the cave as it had been outside, but now it felt…different, somehow. _That's_ _strange_, he murmured quietly, _why do I feel chilled all of a sudden. _

However, Mikey's pleading interrupted Leonardo's momentary distraction.

"But, Leoooo," the youngest whined and took a small step towards his leader brother, the crown still firm on his head, "Can't we take something back with us, something that won't cause April so much trouble?"

Leonardo went over to his youngest sibling and smiled, gently removing the diadem, "No crowns, Mikey," and sat the headpiece down on a pile of tarnished silver plates. He turned towards his brother in red, "and no large bracelets, either, Raph. Maybe a small one, to give to April, as a gift, but nothing like what you were wearing a moment ago."

Raph smiled a little, somewhat appeased, "That works fer me, Leo." He looked around and spied a thin gold bracelet laying on top a cluster of pearl necklaces. With the delicate bangle embedded with emeralds, he knew it would be the perfect gift for their red-haired friend. Raphael quickly plucked it from its resting spot, "I think this'll do for Ap," and tucked the band into one of his pouches where he had stored his share of fruit.

"Okay, guys, whether we take anything back with us or not, what about this chest of gold?" Don looked at the treasure again.

"I don't know, Donnie," Leo took a step closer and stared at the gold in front of him, "There's just something unsettling about this chest, something not quite right, as if there's more here that what we can see; a force of some sort." He looked back at his three brothers, "Don't you feel it?" He rubbed at his arms, now, "I didn't feel it before, not until I got closer to the chest. It's almost like a chill, a crawling sensation, an electrical feeling. Master Splinter always told us never to see just with our eyes, but with all of our senses."

"I'm quite certain that nothing is wrong here, Leo," Donnie reasoned, "It's just your imagination."

"Leo doesn't have 'n imag'nation, Don - remembeh?" Raph snickered.

His brother in purple hesitated for a moment, considering Raph's words and then he looked over at Leo, one eye ridge raised. It was obvious he was giving Raph's comment some serious consideration.

"Guys, quit it!" Leo rolled his eyes in exasperation, hands on hips, "I do too have an imagination, but - this isn't it, this is real, I'm sure something's wrong!"

Raph folded his arms across his chest and chuckled, "Nothing's wrong, Leo, get a grip for cry'n out loud, it's just a chest of gold."

"Anyway," Don interrupted, continuing insistently, "what's the harm in taking a few coins, Leo? April could say someone sold them to her at her shop or traded them in for something else and she didn't get their name."

Yet, before Leo could offer a reply to Don's question and before anyone could stop him, Mikey shoved one hand into the middle of the cache. When he pulled his hand out again, his fist was full of gold coins. "Hey, these are pretty small. Bet we could fill our pouches with enough to make us rich!"

"Mike, put it back. I'm serious about not getting rich!"

"Aw, Leo, com'on, what's the harm?"

"Mike, I - ah - I dunno, guys," Leo rubbed his left arm again and looked around nervously, "this doesn't feel…right. I know something's wrong with this place."

"Hey, Leo, yer startin' t'sound just like Mikey. You want cheese with that whine?"

"Knock it off, Raph, I'm serious!"

"So am I, and as soon as I find some, I'm stuffin' yer mouth with mozzarella!"

Don stared at the cache of gold doubloons, curious. There was something familiar with them, the way the designs were on the chest. Tentatively, he reached in and took one of the coins. Holding it between thumb and first-finger, he looked closely at the one side facing him. It showed an all-too familiar skull ringed with an equally familiar design.

"Say, this has the same motif as the wall carving we found back in the first lava tube." Donatello studied the coin for a moment. Positioning it within a beam of sunlight situated next to him, "It's that Aztec calendar with the skull face." Don's brow pinched together in thought, "It's the strangest doubloon I've ever seen."

"A _balloon_?" Mike chuckled as he took several of the coins from his hand and dropped them into his pouch, "is that what the Aztecs called money back then?"

"Not a balloon, Mike, dah'bloon," Don corrected tersely, a little exasperated with his brother's less than stellar knowledge about such matters, "and it was Spanish money, what they used as currency back in the days when they ruled the Caribbean, when our country first settled." Don was quiet for a moment, a sudden thought occurring to him. As he continued with his explanation, his words slowed, as if he was trying to figure something out, "It was a time of establishing colonies, of…conquering and…of…_pirates_?" He looked around more intently, now, his slowly widening eyes taking in every detail of the cave. From the bits and pieces of skeletons he found earlier, to the mountainous piles of treasure, then the decorated sword Leo had held a moment ago, to Mikey's crown, and finally the chest with the strange coins. "I bet this here, ALL of this," Donatello gestured excitedly with both hands to indicate the entire cavern, "is pirate's booty and now I know where we are."

"And where's that, Don?"

"We're in the Caribbean, Leo!" Donatello smiled, almost gloating, now that he had finally figured out where they were. He studied the coin a moment longer, his grin still plastered on his face, until he flipped the doubloon over. Then, his smile faded and his eyes went even wider with surprise. He took up another coin and then another, inspecting each the same way, but finding the same design every time.

"The hieroglyphic!" Don finally announced, his voice cracking from excitement.

"What hieroglyphic?" Leo took a step closer when he saw the shocked expression on his brother's face.

Just hearing Don mention the carving from the first cave and in the same breath as the coins had caught Mikey's attention. He stepped closer as well, "What are ya talkin' about, Donnie?"

"What I'm talking about, is that these coins have the same design on the back as the carving in the floor of the first cave! It goes with the strange Aztec calendar and the coin shows the rest of the hieroglyphic from where the first drawing left off, the part that was missing. I knew it; I knew there had to be more!" Donnie quickly pocketed the coin, as a smile spread victoriously over his face.

"So, ya think this gold here is a clue t'gettin' home, Donnie?"

"Has to be, Raph, I mean, what else could it be?"

Raphael plucked a doubloon from the collection and then worked it in his hand, flipping it repeatedly, as he studied each side. "Well, it's great to have the whole picture, but what does it mean for us?"

"It's probably a map, a way to find different portals; possibly even a way to get home, like you said." Don smiled at Raph and then handed Leo one of the extra doubloons. As his brother in blue took it and bounced the coin around in his hand, feeling its weight, Don added with a cocky grin, "And you thought something bad was going to happen."

As Leo opened his mouth to reply, however, a gunshot rang out suddenly, causing the turtles to turn towards the sound.

At the same time, Leo jerked and spun away, as if sucker punched, before collapsing unconscious at Donatello's feet. As his brothers watched in horror, blood now flowed freely from a bullet hole penetrating Leo's plastron, where his heart was. Yet a split second passed before his brothers realized what had happened and then...they were screaming his name.

And it was in the next moment when all hell broke loose.


	12. These Aren't Your Average Turtles

_**Disclaimer - **This one may seem a little redundant, but - at least we get a different view of things. A pirate's view, that is, and one not savvy with mutant turtles, especially the ninja-trained variety. :0) _

_Once again, I own nothing other than my OC's, which - so far - has been the now-deceased gator - um - Caiman. (Rein glances over at Don and gets a nod of approval from him and one of his famous smiles. She swoons. Her day is now complete!) _

_Read if you feel led, review if you want, but enjoy this as much as I did in writing it. _

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**Chapter 12 - These Aren't Your Average Turtles! **

They had anchored the Black Pearl just off shore from Isla De Muerta's main promontory, where the entrance to the treasure cave was. After lowering the dinghies to sea level, they climbed down the side of the bigger ship and eased into the smaller boats. Making their way slowly through the channel leading into the mouth of the cave, Jack sat in one boat as Gibbs steered and four men rowed. In the other vessel were Will and Elizabeth, along with a similar accompaniment of seamen as the first boat doing the work. They made their way slowly to where they could moor the dinghies and climb out onto the rocks without getting too wet.

Nevertheless, in disembarking, they did manage to soak their shoes rather well, yet not one of them complained - not even Elizabeth. In fact, the mood was so solemn that only the resounding boom of waves crashing repeatedly against the nearby rocks broke the silence. The sky was still cloud-covered and dreary-looking, too, casting a somber mood over the group.

In the same way as they arrived, though, they walked quietly into the wide-mouthed cave, keeping to the path edging the salt-water tide that fed the stream deep within. They kept their steps soft, not wanting to make a sound. It was as if they feared any noise at all would waken the curse. None of them wanted it, of course, yet they all knew that it was for only a little while, until they could get the gold back to where it belonged. It was paramount, then, that they act quickly in retrieving the cache and getting it to its final destinationIn short, it effectively quelled any conversation and - for Jack Sparrow - it was a blessing.

Considering how talkative Elizabeth had been during the journey, the pirate was glad the seriousness of their situation had muted the girl's incessant nagging.

With Jack leading the way, Will and Elizabeth followed, while Gibbs and the rest of the men took up the rear. They managed well enough through the narrow passageways, silent but for the occasional and gentle scrape of sole on rock.

However, the closer they came to their destination they began hearing strange voices filtering back to them from the cave up ahead. Jack motioned for silence and caution. Raising a finger to his lips in a hushed gesture, he then crouched. _This - isn't right_, he thought to himself, _no one should be here. _

Whispering low, he caught Mr. Gibbs' attention, "Was there another boat tied up - at all - even a small one?"

Gibbs shook his head no. Of course, had there been another vessel, Jack was certain any of them would have seen it. Considering that this cave had the only access to the island - and as far as he knew there wasn't a way up to land even with that - it was a given there wouldn't have been an appropriate place to weigh anchor. Yet, it was apparent to Jack that someone had.

Sparrow looked towards the cavern again and sighed softly, "Well, _someone's_ here."

He nodded once towards the grotto ahead of him and removed his pistol, cocking back its hammer in preparation for the unexpected. He indicated the same to Will Turner and Gibbs. They complied eagerly, removing their guns from their belts. The rest of the men did the same. They all knew that to engage with swords would not be as effective against unsuspecting intruders as a well-aimed bullet would be.

Just as the men had done, Elizabeth unsecured her own pistol, but didn't engage the hammer, not yet. Although she was a fine shot - a skill she thanked her father's tutoring for - she knew that one nervous finger could bring disaster. That didn't mean, of course, that she couldn't keep her thumb at the ready along the cock.

As the group continued to edge their way forward, they heard a shout from the cavern ahead of them. Whomever it was, seemed to be talking about ruling the world. Then, the sound of something hard hitting against metal rang out, as said metal protested with an echoing shring. Almost immediately, a complaint issued forth from the first voice they had heard, with someone else replying right after. It was a deeper and surlier utterance accusing the first of being a fool. Jack looked back at his men and shook his head, not at all sure what was going on.

"Accents - not Spanish," he mouthed cautiously, exaggerating his enunciation so the others would understand. He shrugged for emphasis, whispering low, "nor French!"

He pointed to Will and gestured for him to follow, but then pointed harder at Elizabeth and mouthed the word 'stay'. Her eyes widened angrily to challenge him, but when Jack gave Gibbs a look and a nod, an unspoken command passed between them. In response, his first mate took the girl's one arm and held it firmly. In reply, though, Elizabeth jerked it free, but then conceded, nodding in reluctant agreement. She huffed and folded her arms across her chest, then glared at him. Clearly, she wasn't pleased with the pirate's decision.

Creeping quietly, now, and keeping a low profile, the two men edged their way around protrusions of rock and entered the short tunnel leading into the cavern. The sound of crashing waves from outside the cave echoed in behind them, covering any noise they might have made. To further aid in their attempt to stay undiscovered, a series of boulders up ahead provided enough cover to allow them a decent viewing of whatever lay beyond in the grotto. For a moment, Jack Sparrow had a bit of deje vu, remembering, not long ago, how he had come upon Elizabeth's near-sacrifice with Will in tow, how he ended up bartering with Barbossa, hoping to lure the cursed man to Norrington, how it all failed, for a time, but he shook it off. Now, he peered between the same two larger rocks as he had done then, with Will doing the same.

And, in that moment, they nearly gave away their position.

Still, Jack Sparrow and Will Turner managed to gulp down their shock and verbal surprise, lowering themselves further behind the rocks, yet keeping their focus on the scene beyond.

As they turned to face the other, though, each man mouthed only one word, "Demons!"

In fact, there were four of them.

However, before the two friends could even consider the validity of such a thing, one of the demons took up a sword. It was rather decorative, certainly not one for battle, but Jack and Will still watched with great interest, as the demon called out to the other three, begging for their attention.

"It talked," Will whispered low, mouthing the words more than saying them, yet his surprise was quite obvious.

"Seems so," was his friend's equally quiet reply.

Then, the creature with the sword paused, seeming to consider the blade, and before either man in hiding could determine why it had done so, it launched into a series of movements that both amazed and terrified them.

As another echo of crashing waves from outside spilled over them and again helped to hide their presence, "Impossible!" Will exclaimed, his voice barely audible, but louder than it had been before. He realized it almost immediately and crouched lower behind the rock-wall, hoping the creatures beyond hadn't heard him. They seemed to carry on, though, as if nothing had happened, so the man relaxed. Then, as the creature with the sword worked faster with the implement, pitching and swinging the weapon in a sort of dance, Turner turned to Jack, keeping his utterances soft and undetectable to the creatures beyond, "Look at him, I've - never seen anything or anyone move like that with a blade." He narrowed his eyes as he tried to discern what in the world he was watching, "What kind of…"

"Tis a sea turtle, mate," Jack's voice barely registered, but Will clearly heard him, "an' pro'lly a demon as well, an' one only Davy Jones hisself could dream up. Might'n even be one of his hands, in fact." Jack was certain, now, that his assessment of the four creatures was spot on.

"What do we do, then, Jack?"

"We watch and wait for an opportunity."

"To - do what?"

Jack suddenly realized that he had far too little time than what he first thought he had, while still out on the open sea. If Jones had already sent his henchmen to fetch him…well…Jack had to do something, he had to think fast with how best to get out of this one. He took one worried glance at his left hand, holding his breath, then when he opened it - he sighed, almost relieved. It was barren of any black spot, so he still had some time. Just the same, he balled his hand into a fist again and hugged it close to him. Looking back between the two rocks he assured Will, "You'll know when I know, mate."

The two men witnessed the end of the sea turtle's strange sword dance. They listened to the creature's assessment of the decorative blade, comparing it to one that he suddenly pulled from a scabbard on his back. That surprised Jack and Will the most, that this creature would carry swords and in such a strange way, too.

The men assessed the others, then, noting that two were on the treasure side of the grotto as the one with the sword, while the fourth seemed more interested in discarded clothing and weaponry. They watched as he looked over at where his brethren was, finally moving in that direction. He easily forded the stream and climbed up to where the chest of gold sat.

As yet another echo of crashing waves from outside reverberated through the tunnel, it drowned out the next bit of conversation between the creatures. Ignoring them for the moment, Jack turned a curious look to his friend, "Well, at least they speak English, sort of. Strange accent, though, can't quite fig'r where it's from."

Then, Jack and Will stared at the strange animals again. That was when they noticed that three of the four sea turtles wore material around their faces, with openings for eyes - like masks. The 'masks' tied in the back, producing long, flowing trails. The one that appeared naked of such adornment on his face had a similar material tied around his arm, so the men assumed that it, too, was a mask. Why he had tied it on his arm rather than his face puzzled them, but they did notice that all the masks were of different colors.

There was blue - the one with the sword, and purple, who, by now, stood by the chest. Another one, smaller and chunkier than the first two (and wearing a crown on his head, no less), wore orange while the fourth one seemed to favor red.

Nevertheless, the creatures were as bizarre and as strange as anything they had ever seen - and they had seen a lot in the past year. The more Will and Jack thought about it, though, the more worrisome they became.

Suddenly, Purple called out to his brethren and begged them over to where he stood by the stone chest.

"They better not touch the gold…" Jack hunkered down behind the rocks even more, now, hoping against hope, watching the other three join Purple at the chest.

After a long debate between the four demons about the treasure, with Blue taking the crown from Orange and Red removing jeweled bands from his arms, there was some mention about the New World colony of New York and the month of April. However, Sparrow's hope for the coins to remain untouched dashed to pieces the moment Orange plunged his hand into the golden pile. It then pulled out a fistful of coins and said something to one of the others about taking some back with them.

"Obviously not from around here," Will shrugged casually.

"If they're from New York City; maybe they're Dutch? Still, not the right accent, though. Bugger, where are they from?" Jack pursed his lips in thought.

The two men watched as Purple took a gold coin. The creature talked quite a lot about it, most of it confusing to the pair who hid among the rocks, but Purple's mention of the Aztecs with relationship to the treasure piqued Will's interest.

"How'd he know about them?"

"Davy Jones' men, remember?" Jack sneered, "should'a known."

Red also took up one of the doubloons and then Purple handed Blue one as well.

"Now, they're cursed. Bugger all!" Jack spat softly, "We have t'do somethin', can't let them leave. They takes the coins with'em, we'll never get'em back and we'd have to leave the treasure here or be cursed forever, like Barbossa!"

"If they're Davy Jone's men, wouldn't they be dead already? How can they be affected by the curse?"

Jack eyed his friend for a moment, digesting what Gibbs had just said, and it seemed to make perfect sense. He then smiled, "Maybe not. Maybe - they're just - _demons_ after all." He looked back between the rocks, his mood lighter than it had been, and watched as the reptilian quartet still gathered around the stone chest.

Finally, Jack shrugged, "I'm not sure how quickly the curse begins, mate, an' I'm not sure if bein' sea beasties would matter, but I'm not takin' chances." The pirate grinned, then, "An' I'm sure me men wouldn't mind a little turtle stew, either."

In the next moment, Sparrow stood, aimed, and picked the one creature that worried him the most - then fired his pistol.

The instant Blue fell, there was a moment of shock, then pandemonium, as screams of desperation rose from the other three demon turtles.

As Will joined Jack in standing and as Jack tried to reload his pistol, the blacksmith prepared to fire his own. It was then when two things happened at once.

The first one was hearing Gibbs and the rest of Jack's men drawn there by the sound of pistol fire, their shouts of alarm closing in on where the two stood.

The second one was when two very angry 'demon turtles' turned to see who had fired the shot. Then, as they spied the two men, they charged towards the source, faster than Sparrow or Turner thought possible, and wielding the strangest weapons that any of the men had seen before.

As he nervously gulped and as his brow pinched with concern, the only thing Jack could say in response was, "An' I thought sea turtles were passive beasties."

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_**A/N** - Some of you might have the habit of re-reading stories. If so, then this chapter is new. I don't know how I forgot to add it here, but - I did. So, consider this a little extra surprise for my faithful readers. :0) It picks up in the next chapter with the aftermath of Leo getting shot. :0)_


	13. Bugger All!

_**Disclaimer - **It bears repeating that I do not own the TMNT's or anyone representing POTC. _

_If ya thought the last chapter was too angsty, mate, ya haven't read anything yet. Yo Ho, it's a pirate's life fer me. _

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**Chapter 13 - Bugger All! **

As Leonardo collapsed and as his brothers screamed his name, their panicky shrieks reverberating through the cave.

In the next moment, Don dropped down next to his stricken sibling. At the same time, Mike and Raphael unleashed their weapons and turned towards the source of the fired shot.

With his brothers ready to meet the new threat, Don cradled Leonardo in his arms.

"Leo, LEO, what happened, speak to me…," he pleaded and then Don noticed the bullet hole in Leo's chest. With blood oozing freely from the wound, Donatello's eyes were now wide with horror, "Oh god, no, please NO!"

Don realized the hole was right where Leo's heart would be and, though the blood flowed liberally from the wound, it didn't run as readily as it should, considering its location. It puzzled him for a moment. He knew there should have been more blood. Donatello had seen enough chest-related gunshot wounds to know when a bullet pierced the heart - and he was certain Leo's was.

Just the same, he didn't have time to consider it, because Raphael and Michelangelo were already racing through the saltwater tributary towards their assailant. Their cries of anguish shook the turtle in purple, their weapons in hand, as they quickly targeted the one responsible for shooting their brother. Donatello watched their advance, to make certain they would have him covered, and then turned his attention back to Leonardo once again.

Frantically feeling for a pulse along his brother's neck, Don frowned when he couldn't find one. He tried the other side, but - again - he was unsuccessful.

Now, a choking sob bubbled its way from Don's very being. It started slow, building upon itself until his overwhelming grief nearly strangled him. His breath hitched once and he tried to cry out, only to find his voice stunted with a bottleneck of emotions. His body shaking with grief and as tears fell freely down his face, Donatello hugged Leo closer to his plastron and wept into him.

"Leo, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I should have listened to you."

With a shuddering breath, the purple-banded turtle looked up to see Raphael and Mikey cut across the other side of the cave. Then, as his eyes drew to the farthest end and to where his brothers were heading, he saw two men standing behind an outcropping of boulders. One held a smoking gun, obviously the one who had fired the shot…and who wore a very familiar tricorne hat!

"What?" Don managed to mutter softly between sobs, "Couldn't be, could it?"

Then, a movement to the man's right distracted Don. He also wore a tricorne, black in color. Unlike the other man's hat, though, this one sported an ostrich feather along the topside. His eyes were wide with fear, his brow knitted together in confusion, but what stilled Don's heart was that the second man held a gun in his hand, too.

Then, the second man suddenly recovered his confidence and his focus, and raised his gun to take aim.

Before Donnie could shout a warning to his brothers, he heard a chorus of angry shouts interrupt the scene. The excited voices seemed to come from behind the two men, though, getting louder and closer with every passing second.

_Is that another tunnel?_ Don asked himself and then realized that behind the two men was another opening in the cave wall. Then, he watched as the second man hesitated, obviously as distracted as he. Don gulped, watching the human turned towards the sound and just as he did, more men gathered in behind him and his partner.

As they raised their pistols, Don panicked once again. He knew in that moment that he and his brothers were horrifically out-gunned.

Yet, for a long, pregnant, and surreal moment, he recognized something else, as well, and he forgot about the new arrivals. Quickly assessing their clothes and specifically the two men he had first seen, their costumes looked all too familiar to him, yet, none more so than the one in dreadlocks. With the jewelry entwined within his hair and his head capped with the tricorne hat, Don knew he had seen the man, or something like him, before.

_But, where? _Don asked silently, his current emotional state impeding his memory.

Suddenly, Raphael and Michelangelo's raging cry rudely interrupted Donatello's evaluation of the two men. Cringing, he heard his brothers' verbalized anguish and loud utterances. As their voices echoed within the cavern, the effect sent chills up Donatello's arms. Always the fastest of the four, Mikey led the way, with Raphael following close behind him. All Don could do in that moment was watch as they advanced quickly on the knot of men.

Knowing the new arrivals had guns, though, Don tried to call out to his brothers to warn them, "RAPH, MIKE, LOOK OUT THEY HAVE…" but before his words penetrated his brothers' rage, a shot rang out from the second man's gun, the bullet finding its mark in Michelangelo.

Don saw his brother flinch and cry out and almost fall. Yet, before another anguished moan could escape the purple-banded turtle, Mike's pumped-up adrenaline helped him to regain his foothold again. Despite his pain, Mike caught his balance and, more determined than Don had ever seen him, plunged forward towards the mass of men - and guns. With his left arm bleeding, now, and more useless than helpful, Michelangelo's good hand whirled his nunchuk like an out of control machine.

As more men filled the tunnel opening from behind their compatriots and as they saw the advancing creatures, they all fired their pistols at the same time.

The first shot hit Raphael in the upper right shoulder. He gave way for just a moment, growling a curse in reply. But, then, he dug in and used the pain to heighten his rage. Stubbornly, he pressed on, all reasoning gone and with only one goal in mind.

Then, Mike stumbled and with sickening abruptness, he fell.

Raphael first heard his brother cry out, he watched as Mikey grabbed his chest. As his brother's weapons dropped from his hands and rattled along the ground, Raph hesitated, but only for a second. Then, as Michelangelo collapsed to the ground, Raph knew the other bullets had found their second target, his brother.

Raphael watched helplessly as Mikey fell to the stone floor, his arms and legs flailing uselessly. His forward momentum however caused him to roll once and then the turtle in orange lay still and unmoving.

Screaming with more uncontrollable rage and grief, Raphael turned a near-hysterical face towards the men. Increasing his advance and closing the gap on his target, just as he reached the man who had shot Leo and before Raph could impale him, a sword suddenly thrust into the tangs of one of his sai.

The owner of the sword, the man who had fired the second shot, pushed hard against the weapon and effectively saved his friend's life.

For a second, the sudden and unexpected interruption of his strike unbalanced him. Instinctively, Raphael brought his second sai up to parley, but the swordsman was ready for that, too. Catching the twin with his other rapier and in the same fashion as he did with the first, Will Turner pushed and turned the turtle away from Sparrow.

Now, the two wrestled, upright, and determined, Raphael against Turner, as Jack looked on. The pirate watched, fascinated, as the two struggled like a pair of bucks caught by their antlers during rutting season. Stepping back and away from the conflict, he pulled a sword from his side, just in case Will failed.

As the other men watched, the turtle growled loudly, menacingly, giving way to animalistic rage. His anger and grief echoed piercingly against the stone interior of the cave, causing the men to hunker back into the tunnel opening. Although afraid, they quickly brought their guns to the ready.

Even though the man he fought against was taller, though, Raphael was far stronger, a credit to his keen physical conditioning. Will didn't know that, of course. Consequently, Raphael's strength and knowledge with how to disarm a sword-wielding opponent greatly surprised the man.

With a turn of his body and then a twist of hand, the turtle used his sai to rip Will's swords from the man's grasp. Executed so quickly, Turner seemed unaware that he had lost his weapons; that is until he realized he was grabbing at air, instead of the hilt of his swords. Wide-eyed, he stood there confused for a moment, as his rapiers flew across the breadth of the cavern. Landing in the saltwater stream, they were now beyond reach and purpose.

Turner then tried to lash out with a fist.

Raph was expecting as much.

In less time than it took to charge the group and in a move borne of countless hours in the dojo, Raphael executed a perfect tornado kick. Foot to midsection, he sent the unsuspecting Will Turner into the cavern wall with a resounding 'oomph'. The man's head hit the rocky surface with a sickening crunch and then he fell limp to the floor, unconscious.

Then, just as Raphael prepared to impale the man, to finish the job, another shot rang out.

Instantly, Raph felt a searing pain from the bullet as it cut through him, this time piercing his side. Feeling its sting, he whipped around instinctively to meet the next challenge. However, his eyes went wide with startled surprise.

He suddenly felt very weak. Having all he could do to remain standing and determined not to fall, he stood there, rigid, frozen in place. Then, he began to shake, as he weakened further.

He tried to cry out in protest, yet Raph's utterances drowned in his throat. Confused, Raphael appeared caught between rage and unfamiliar fear. Then, weakening further, his legs finally gave out, and he collapsed to the cavern floor.

Laying there sprawled along the stony ground, blood now pooled in his mouth. As some dribbled between his lips, just before losing consciousness, Raphael looked up and saw the person responsible for his imminent death.

Emerging from the group of terrified men, their own pistols spent and their swords impotent with indecision, stepped Elizabeth Swann. She held her pistol, smoking and spent of its bullet, as she stared down at the demon turtle.

Crumpled along the rough-hewn floor, Raphael looked up at her and gave one last growl and a snarl, before fading way, his pupils now set in death.

As shocked as the men were by all they had witness, Elizabeth stood there, jaw set in determination. She then heaved a heavy sigh and murmured, "_What kind of creature is this?" _

Suddenly, an anguished cry interrupted her questioning. Turning towards the sound, Elizabeth and the men stared across the grotto. There, sitting by the stone chest of gold and as his body shook with overwhelming grief the last remaining turtle outstretched his hands in a gesture of surrender. "**Don't shoot, please**. _Please_ don't shoot me, I won't harm you, **please**…oh god, Leo, Raph...Mikey…_Splinter_." Then Don fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. He lifted Leo to his chest again and hugged him as if he would float away if he didn't. Rocking his dead brother back and forth, Don thought of his family. Everyone was gone, now, dead. He was the last remaining of his brothers, of his kind. In that moment, he wished for death himself, regretting his curiosity about the gold. He was certain that somehow in touching the coins, that they had served a judgment.

"Leo was right, he was right - he's…_he's always right_," he sobbed into his brother.

However, before anyone could react, before Donatello realized what was happening, Leo's body suddenly convulsed. Then, the turtle in blue coughed, took in a deep and desperate breath, before swallowing. Opening his eyes, Leonardo looked up into his brother's astonished and tear-stained face. At first, he seemed puzzled, but then he asked, "What…in shell…just happened?"

As he stared in confusion with his brother's return, a smile of relief slowly grew along Donatello's face.

Yet, one voice muttered unhappily from across the cavern, with Jack's words causing Gibbs and Elizabeth to groan.

"Bugger all, we're too late!"

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_A/N - Hmm…a harbinger of things to come? Bwahahaha _


	14. Walking, Talking, and Cursed, Oh My

_**Disclaimer - **Well, it's about time, right? Sorry for the delay, but life interrupted me a bit. This was originally going to be much longer, but at over six-thousand words, I decided to trim it a bit. Good for me, because it gave me an already-to-load chapter that I don't have work on. It gives me a bit of a breather, which I desperately needed. _

_As before, I only own the story idea and nothing else. Things change, though, so maybe next time I can boast that the turtles are mine. _

_Then, again, maybe not? _

_My thanks to Cynlee who beta read and to all who have read and reviewed! _

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**Chapter 14 - Walking, Talking, and Cursed, Oh My! **

"Honestly, Leo, I don't know what happened…other than…_than_," With his emotions still fresh, Don's voice suddenly hitched. He took a deep breath to recover his composure, before continuing, "other than…you… were shot." With one bandanna tail, he wiped his face dry and then touched his brother's plastron, where the wound had been, "And I **know** you were shot because you had a bullet hole right - _here_, in your chest, right where your heart is and you were _bleeding_, but…" he shook his head, quite stupefied, "you're healed somehow. This time, Leo, I haven't a clue about what happened."

"Yeah, neither do I, Donnie." Leo sat up, his strength quickly returning, and looked around, confused. Although he remembered the piercing sting of the bullet, it was the last thing he remembered. Consequently, he didn't know who had shot him. As he scanned the cave's expanse, however, Leo soon found himself locking eyes with a man holding a gun. After a moment, he finally asked Donatello, as his gaze held the man's own, "Was he the one?"

"Yeah, but…" Don sat back on his haunches and sadly shook his head, "there's more than just him, now, Leo, lots more, and they've…they've killed.…"

However, a voice mumbled from across the cavern, as it interrupted Don, "Bugger all, we're too late!"

With his attention on the man who had just spoken and sensing fear from him, Leonardo didn't pay attention to the rest of Don's comment. He could easily smell the recently burned discharge of gunpowder, too, and it seemed heavy, as if a shoot-out had taken place while he was…'_out'_.

Next, he looked beyond the human in question and noticed even more men had gathered from behind. Like their compatriot, their uncertainty was just as worrisome and obvious. Worse still, all of them held similar weapons as the man who shot him, yet they didn't hold the implements as if they were ready to shoot. The turtle wondered if that was because they already had.

Suddenly, Leo saw one of them standing just a little in front of the human cluster. With 'his' weapon drawn and smoking from its discharge, it was obvious he had already shot at something. Still, with the way he was standing, this 'man' seemed different from all the others. To Leo, he didn't seem very masculine.

It puzzled him.

Nevertheless, the turtle in blue could only sit there next to the treasure chest and his brother in purple, and stare across the cavern at the humans, wondering how they had found their way into the cave. The tunnel he and his brothers had used was higher up and at the opposite side from where the men stood, so it made sense to assume that a second tunnel was somewhere nearby.

However, something lying along the floor in front of the men also caught Leonardo's interest. When he realized what he was looking at, he sucked in a quick, startled breath. At first, he tried to deny it, but as the truth of the matter finally registered, like a sledgehammer Leonardo felt his heart begin to pound.

Sprawled just in front of the crowd of men and lying motionless along the stone floor of the cave were two of his brothers, pools of blood seeping out from under their bodies. That was when he realized what else Don had tried to tell him only a moment earlier.

Leonardo's breathing suddenly strangled, his voice breaking, as he cried out, "No…NO, please, NOT…" and then, to his surprise and everyone else's, Michelangelo's body twitched!

At first, both Leo and Don assumed it was rigor mortis settling in. Incredibly, though, in the next moment, Leo heard Mikey cough and inhale deeply, just as he himself had done. Leonardo smiled with relief as his youngest brother rolled to his side and sat up. He then looked around and seemed apparently as confused as his oldest brother had been.

Mikey blinked a few times, trying to focus on the scene around him. However, when he saw the men with their guns drawn, he assumed the weapons were still loaded. In panic Michelangelo quickly backed up. He scooted along the roughhewn stone floor as far from them on his rump as he could, before finally scrambling to his feet. Quickly spotting and then grabbing his chuks from off the ground, Michelangelo growled and turned to face the humans. He then prepared for the worst and, if he had to, he readied himself to dodge more bullets.

However, before anyone could react, a movement to _Mikey's_ left caused him to look away from the men. He gave a quick glance and then another, almost in disbelief. This time, his eyes grew large as he stared at a prone Raphael, reclined haphazardly along the floor of the cave, as if dead. Then, his brother in red jerked a second time, finally awakening from his slumbering death.

Like his two brothers, Raphael went through the same motions of revival as they had. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was very much alive, either, and, as the reality of that truth became clearer, he jumped to a ready stand. With his legs spread apart and his fists gripping both sai, the turtle crouched defensively, now, and prepared to meet his next challenge.

Suddenly, he remembered the event that had happened just before he lost consciousness.

Raph snapped around and looked back towards the treasure chest. Holding his breath, he expected to see Leonardo lying along the ground, dead and bleeding as he had last seen him. Yet the sight of his brother in blue, now climbing to a stand with help from Donatello nearly made him shout with relief, as well as disbelief. Next, he saw Mikey upright and apparently unharmed, too, and staring at him with equal surprise. Yet, Raph couldn't see one bloodstain or bullet hole marring his brother's body.

It was like a miracle - or something else entirely.

Shaking his head, Raph was more than confused, "H-h-how...I…what _happened_?"

Before anyone could answer him, though, he recalled his own encounter with a bullet. Raphael glanced down at his body and his eyes grew wider, "What the shell? Hey, I know I was shot, what gives…" Unable to believe what had happened, he felt his right arm that had taken the first hit, only to find his flesh unblemished. Next, he ran a hand along his side, the unprotected area between his plastron and his carapace, where the second shot had found its mark. Failing to find a wound, he seemed to be as miraculously unmarred as his youngest brother and as physically whole as they had been before all hell broke loose. 

Yet, before Raph could question anything, a soft moan off to his left tugged at his attention, and so he turned to see what it was. There, lying along the ground in front of him was the very man with whom he had crossed steel. The man moaned again and stirred, but then lay still and unconscious. With the small bit of blood staining the human's head, Raph knew the man would have one whopper of a headache when he finally woke up.

"Serves 'em right!" he growled low.

Satisfied that all was right with his world, Raph turned and glared at the knot of men huddling in front of what seemed to be another tunnel opening. He recognized them as the ones who had shot Mikey, so they would suffer his full wrath. They would pay for trying to kill his brother and he would make sure of it.

However, it was then when he found himself staring face to face with the very one who had shot him. He easily recognized the person, too, their last visage he had seen before he 'died', or at least he thought he had died. In any event, it was apparent that the shooter had missed. How they could have missed, Raphael didn't know, because he distinctly remembered the bullet's painful impact.

Still, he couldn't deny the fact that he was standing, breathing, and physically in one piece, just like always.

Grinning wide in triumph, he mocked his assailant, "Looks like someone needs lessons in firin' a gun!"

In response, he heard the person huff indignantly and stand a little taller. They were obviously offended by his remark. Yet, by the sound of their disdain and the person's less than masculine physique, Raphael quickly understood something rather intriguing. He smiled just a little. "You're a - woman?"

Elizabeth straightened even more, her jaw tense and her eyes ablaze with anger, but she didn't move nor did she make a sound. Initially, she had wanted to go to Will the moment she killed the creature, but when the one in blue resuscitated, Elizabeth knew the inevitable had happened. She knew that it wouldn't be too long before the turtle in red did the same. With that in mind, she had waited, albeit impatiently.

Now that what she feared had come to pass, her anger towards the creature intensified.

Raph smiled wider at her discontent, too, "Lucky for you, toots, I don't fight unarmed opponents, especially broads."

At first, Elizabeth offered him a challenging glare, but then her brow knitted together with uncertainty. It was obvious that Raph's choice of words had confused her.

However, the turtle ignored the girl's obvious bewilderment and looked past her to the men gathered a few feet behind her. Seeing that each man brandished a sword or knife, Raphael grinned, "Howeveh, _they'll_ do quite nicely." He then stretched his arms wide in mock welcome and growled a challenge, "So, boys, who's next?"

Their guns spent of their single shot and not having enough time to reload, two of Sparrow's men rushed the turtle in full yell, their swords in hand.

However, unlike Will's initial encounter with the turtle, they didn't get very far.

Easily dodging their attack, Raphael stepped to one side with the grace and speed of his ninjitsu training. This, of course, caused the men to stumble in surprise, because they had never seen anyone move so quickly, turtle _or_ human. Still, they tried to recover but it was too late.

With blinding accuracy, Raphael pivoted around, his sai up and in position. Just as the men turned to adjust their angle and attack, with the speed of a viper Raph impaled both in the chest with one swift movement. Then the turtle watched as they crumpled to the floor of the cavern, dead. He could hear Leonardo scream something at him, something about stopping, but Raphael was in full blood lust. With his family's existence at risk, until he killed every last man - or woman, he knew that he and his brother's wouldn't be safe.

Then, after he wiped his bloodied weapons along his thighs, he greeted the next volley of men. Two more charged towards him with equal verve and voice, their weapons drawn.

In that moment, though, Raph realized something. Unlike the first two, instead of killing them outright, the turtle swiped aside their poorly executed attempt to do harm and easily dislodged the swords from their hands. As their weapons flipped into the air and clattered to the stone floor, the blades skittered a few feet away, impotent to the fight. Hesitantly, the men stilled their attack, shocked to immobility, and stared wide-eyed at the turtle.

Before they could recover, though, instead of cutting into their flesh as he had done with the first two, Raphael raised his weapons and spun the sai around. Not wasting a moment, he brought the pummel end of each sai hard against the side of his attackers' heads, and effectively knocked them out. As they fell unconscious to the cavern floor, Raph snorted a bit in satisfaction.

Considering that they were his and his brother's ticket off the island, Raphael realized he needed answers; he wanted to know how they got there. If the other man, the one who had initially shot Leo, pressed the issue and Raph had to kill him, he wanted someone alive to question.

As the two men lay inert along the ground, now, Raph glanced over at the girl. He had an idea. Holding her hostage might actually get him the information he needed. Sneering at her, Raphael asked, "So, sweets, which one's yer boyfriend?"

Elizabeth, for all intents and purpose, had rarely, if ever backed down from a challenge, using her wiles and charm if an outright fight was impractical. But the fact this creature would even ask such a question made her blood run cold. She tried to remain strong, stoic even, attempting to put to rest any suspicions that the creature might have had about her. However, the fleeting glance she gave towards the unconscious Will told Raphael all he needed to know.

Just as he began his advance towards Elizabeth, though, a voice of reason suddenly broke through the turtle's determine resolve.

"RAPHAEL, STOP, NOW!"

Leonardo's loud and persistent request stunned the humans, but it seemed to also rile the one to whom he had spoken.

"No way, Leo, they tried to kill us!" Raphael bellowed and continued to stalk towards a now frightened Elizabeth.

Her courage failing, the girl scrambled around the remaining men and back into the tunnel. "Keep away from me you…you **filthy** beast!" she called out.

"I'm not filthy, sweetheart; I took a swim jus' this mornin'!" Raph growled.

"I SAID STOP!"

"NO, LEO, WE HAVE T'FIND OUT HOW THEY GOT HERE!" Raphael turned slightly to challenge his newly recovered brother.

"We need to calm down so that they can calm down! They're afraid, Raph, they think we're something to fear."

"Don't care, Leo, they're gonna have a reason to fear when I get done with 'em."

This time, the rest of Jack's men decided that they had had enough. To see creatures as bizarre as the turtles were was bad in and of itself, but to see these same creatures alive, when they should be dead, convinced them that retreat was the better part of valor. In their rush to escape, though, they ended up pushing Elizabeth out of their way and back into the cavern again. Then, they ran noisily through the tunnel in their desperate bid to be first back to the boats.

Elizabeth, quickly repositioned herself back behind the imposing boulders for protection from the angry reptile. She huddled there, ready to make a break for it back to the boats if the creature continued his advance. Yet, she kept glancing at Turner, peering between the rocks, and hoping he, too, would get up.

Unlike his men, however, Sparrow stayed where he was. Next to him, Gibbs stood stoically, but he did debate the issue of joining the rest of the men. Then he decided to see it through with his captain, regardless. He turned his attention, now, to the present matter, his hand on the hilt of his own rapier, preparing to unsheathe it if necessary - curse or no curse.

"Ya certain about stayin', Cap'n?"

"No, but we need the treasure, Mr. Gibbs."

His first mate nodded hesitantly, "Could always come back another time, ya know."

"Not when they took some of the gold we can't. Have t'reason with'em to return it - somehow."

"But, they're cursed, Cap'n, can't reason with cursed men - or beast, as the case may be."

"True, Gibbs, but ya heard 'em, they can talk, so they can prob'ly understand things, too." The more Jack thought about it, though, he seriously believed that maybe it would be better if they were all cursed as well. In that way, it would mean that the beasties wouldn't have any way of killing him - or his first mate, or Elizabeth, or Will, or… Still, it was possible that this was indeed a fool's mission, as Elizabeth had so often reminded him throughout their journey. Yet, to concede and to a woman no less, rankled the pirate's pride. He was, after all, Captain Jack Sparrow, the greatest pirate to sale the open seas, owner of the grandest and fastest ship in the Caribbean, and he didn't need to consider any woman's word.

Still, Sparrow had a feeling these turtles were not one's ordinary beasties, even if they should be under the authority of Davy Jones.

_If'n they can talk, they can savvy!_ he muttered to himself. Of course, they stood between him and the treasure and Jack was determined to follow through with his plans. He'd make friends with the devil if he had to.

Determinedly Elizabeth continued to hide behind the boulders and watch. Although she was petrified, she refused to leave Will behind. Then, she saw Jack Sparrow raise one hand and loudly clear his throat, effectively causing the red-wearing turtle to cease his advance. As the creature slowed, the girl let out a long, sustained breath, and, for the first time since arriving at the island, she relaxed.

_Well, at least it can reason, as well as talk,_ she murmured to herself.

Just the same, she went about the task of reloading her gun with another shot. She cocked the hammer back and kept the pistol at the ready by her side.

_"Should have gone with Will and Jack, rather than stay behind like I did,_ she muttered under her breath, _then I'd know for sure if it's the curse or something else!_

As Raphael slowed, Jack Sparrow smiled a little and bowed politely to the turtle. Assuming his stance once again, he looked back at the reptile and pulled a frown. The pirate could tell that the beast was anything but happy about the change in whatever plans it had for him. _Yes, seems he's a bit displeased_, Jack gulped a little and then looked beyond the creature in red to the one in blue. _That one appears less addled, though, _he smiled Nodding his thanks to him, Jack then addressed the one in red.

"Tis true what yer mate said."

"My…_mate_?" Raph repeated, quite confused. He glanced back at Leo and chuckled, before glaring at the pirate again, "He's my **bro**, not my **_mate_**. What'd'ya take me for?"

"Bro?" Jack queried, his brow pushed together in confusion. Shaking his head, "I - I don't savvy your meaning, turtle."

"Savvy? Oh…**savvy**!" Raph sneered, "I see, so you're into that new trend of pirate-speak. Okay, I can play along." The turtle cleared his throat and began again, this time taking one large step towards the man. Leaning into the pirate's widening face for emphasis, Raph explained, "Leonardo's my BROTHER, KIN, we're both MALES? Do ya _**savvy**_ that, _bucko_?"

Nodding eagerly and smiling wider - and taking a tentative step backwards towards the tunnel, "Oh yes, yes, certainly." Jack swallowed and nervously made a side-ways glance towards the turtle in blue. "So, your - _brother _- is correct, mate…oops…sorry, but…um…what should I call you?" The man smiled tightly.

"You can call me your worst nightmare."

"Raph, knock it off," Leo admonished as he climbed his way down from the pile of treasure and forded the stream. Don followed likewise, with both of them catching up with Mikey. Then, the three turtles worked their way cautiously to where Raph, the pirate, and Gibbs stood.

As for Elizabeth, she continued to huddle behind the protective rocks just inside the tunnel, watching with great interest. She could barely make out Will's legs, where the rest of him lay beyond her sight, where the rocks interrupted her view. Still, she hoped for some movement, but was greatly disappointed. A sudden, irrepressible fear now tucked its way into the back of her throat and constricted her breathing with a terrible assumed grief. She recalled how hard her beloved had hit the wall and how limp he fell to the ground. She hoped against hope that Will had been knocked out and nothing more.

As the trio of turtles closed in on where he stood with their brother, Jack took two more steps backwards towards the tunnel. Slowly edging closer to the opening, he was ready to bolt, if need be. He turned and gestured with one hand to Elizabeth for her to move along, too. In that moment, gold or no gold, Jack valued his life more than his plan. As well as the beast in red had fought, the pirate knew when to concede a fight, especially one that had yet to begin.

Stubbornly, though, Elizabeth shook her head, "I'm not leaving, Jack, not without Will!" Hesitantly, she came around the end of the boulders and just outside the tunnel's threshold. She now stood defiantly behind the pirate, now.

Sparrow sighed and shook his head, pointing again at the tunnel. Through gritted teeth and with a low voice, he assured the girl, "Better t'come back another time, luv."

Yet, Elizabeth loudly countered his suggestion, "We get my fiancé' and then we can leave." Folding her arms across her chest, "And not before!"

"What about me other men?" Jack protested, pointing to the four, two of whom were still alive, but unconscious, "I would like fer them t'come along, too, but not to risk my life in doin so." The other two were dead, or so Sparrow believed. _Might'n be the curse could fix'em,_ he mused silently. He watched them for a moment, hoping to see some evidence of life like the beasties had shown. Yet, the longer they laid there on the ground, unmoving, the more Jack realized that they weren't under the protection of the dreaded curse - at least, not yet, anyway. There was still time, though…at least Jack hoped so.

"Well," Elizabeth looked defiantly at Raphael and then to the pirate again, "maybe you can bargain with it and get them to allow us to retrieve your men and Will. Offer it some food or - or something." She then glared at the turtle and tilted her head defiantly.

"Look, toots, I'm not an 'it', I have a name, it's Raphael, an' I'm not hungry!" Well, the last part wasn't quite true, but Raph wanted to make a point that he wasn't going to step aside easily. He smirked at the girl, until he noticed her intransigent expression had returned; the one he had seen right after she shot him a moment ago. He then saw her gun firm in her grasp, with the pistol's hammer cocked back, ready. He looked at her once more, meeting her gaze, and then Raphael smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was one of grave understanding. He repositioned both sai in anticipation, wondering if she'd have the courage to try again in shooting him. If she did, he would be ready this time.

Nevertheless, there was something about Raphael's name and so Jack stared at the turtle, "You're…Italian?" He glanced at Leo as the turtle in blue came up alongside the one in red. This one didn't have the angry expression that his brother had. _Maybe we can reason after all_, Jack hoped.

"No, _snapper_, and my bite IS worse than my bark," Raph huffed, his eyes still on Elizabeth and her gun.

"Noted, but…that you have a name… an Italian one. That's amazing."

"Yeah, yeah, and I guess the fact that I can walk and talk and pretty much beat your sorry ass to a pulp, isn't?" Raph glanced once at the pirate but didn't linger his gaze for too long. His mind was more on the girl with the gun than with carrying on a conversation.

"Well, there's that, too," Jack shrugged and then he quirked one curious eyebrow before carefully asking, "Say…ya don't by chance knows anyone goin' by th' name of…_Davy Jones_, now would ya?"

Four reptilian faces turned a confused expression to the pirate and it was only then when Jack began to feel the slightest bit of confidence with his current predicament. He smiled wide, "I'm guess'n ya don't."


	15. I Don't Want To Be A Wereturtle!

_**Disclaimer - **Don't own anything but the story._

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_As an aside**, TidotaEru3249** wrote a story titled'__The Curse of The WereTurtle__'. I had used 'wereturtle in the title of this chapter before knowing about TidotaEru's story, so in no way have I tried to 'borrow' her 'wereturtle' without permission. It's purely coincidental that we both came up with the same word.She's fine with it, btw._

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**Chapter 15 - I DON'T WANNA BE A WERETURTLE! **

It took a moment for their surprise to ebb and then one of the turtles answered the pirate's question.

"Davy Jones, the singer?" Michelangelo chuckled, "No, never met him, but we're not into his kind of music. I think he's retired." Mike nudged his brother in red, "Isn't that right, Raph?"

"Yeah, whateveh." "Wh…what time is it?"

Noticing that Raph had his focus on someone else, namely the girl, Mikey asked, "Hey, what's going on, bro, you attracted to her or something?" He snickered a bit, half-expecting Raph to bop him one, but when none came, he asked again, "Come on, bro, what's going on?"

The only reply Raphael gave Mike was a low, rumbled growl, a sure sign to the turtle in orange that something was indeed not right. As he was about to ask Raph again about what was wrong, Sparrow interrupted him.

"Singer? What're ya goin' on about, beastie? I'm talkin' about th'ruler of th'briny deep, where sailors go when they die at sea."

Mike's brow pinched together in confusion, his chuckle becoming more worried sounding than amused, "What? Really? B-b-briny deep, as in, as in…?"

"The bottom of the ocean, mate!" Jack shook his head, truly amazed that this creature wouldn't know what he was talking about.

"Ah, yes, Davy Jones and his Locker." Don smiled, quite amused, and getting an approving smile and a nod from the pirate. Donatello then turned to address Michelangelo, "He's a mythological representation of the devil, Mike; usually applied to sailors and seamen to explain where they go should they die at sea. Purely imaginative and superstitious in its origins, of course, but..." Don relaxed a bit, oblivious to Sparrow's swiftly changing approval, and dipped into his 'database' of knowledge. Planting one end of his bo in front of him on the cave floor for support and with both hands cupping the top end, Donatello leaned into his staff as he began a short dissertation about the legendary wraith.

"It was Daniel Defoe who mentioned Davy Jones in his 1726 book, _The Four Years Voyage of Capt_. _George Roberts,_ with the earliest known references to Jones' nafarious connotation found in _The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle_ by Tobias Smollett. If I'm not mistaken, Mikey, the quote goes something like this - '_Davy Jones, according to sailors, is the fiend that presides over all the evil spirits of the deep, and is often seen in various shapes, perched among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes, ship-wrecks, and other disasters to which sea-faring life is exposed, warning the devoted wretch of death and woe.'" _

Donnie smiled wider, now, rather taken with his own account, quickly tagging his mini seminar with a brief description, "Mr. Smollett describes Davy Jones as having saucer-like eyes, three rows of razor-sharp teeth, horns, a long barbed tail, with blue smoke coming from his nose."

Satisfied with himself, Don pleasantly sighed, but then suddenly realized the effect his description had on his baby brother. While Leo and Raph sighed impatiently, Mike's eyes widened with foreboding.

Don then hastily added in order to calm his youngest brother, "It's fiction, Mike and nothing more."

Not at all impressed with the turtle's assessment of his most feared adversary, "IF ye say so," Jack grumbled, "I knows differently, but how does ye know about this book when we haven't even cel'brated the eighteenth cent'ry, yet? We still have half a score t'go b'fore that!" Jack eyed Purple warily. "Are ye a soothsayer…a demon, or maybe ye _are_ in league with Davy 'imself!" The pirate nervously clenched his left hand and glanced at it, concerned. When all he saw was his grubby palm, though, he smiled. Still, he couldn't help but look around a bit, as if half-expecting 'something' to come waltzing into view.

"Ah, well, you see, it's like this…" Leonardo began, but then something the pirate said made him hesitate, "Um… Wait…did you just say that it's not even the eighteenth century yet?" Now it was Leo's eyes going wide, with Don and Mike following his example.

Raphael, however, was still quite intent on keeping his mind on the girl, and so he had missed Jack's brief comment entirely.

Realizing she was under his observation, Elizabeth stared back, defiant to the turtle's challenge, albeit it was a weak attempt on her part. With her hand still grasping her gun, she held it close to her side, hoping that none of the other creatures had seen it. She also hoped that if she had to shoot, she wouldn't find herself at the worrisome end of the beasty's strange weapon, too.

"Aye," Gibbs replied to Leonardo's question, "e'tis. What year did ya think it was?"

"Well, honestly?" Leo began but when Don gave him a subtle negative shake of his head, he asked his brother. "What is it, Donnie?"

Don carefully eased up alongside his sibling, "Ex'nay on the date-nay, Leo," he whispered, "Look - how - they're - dressed. Timeline pollution."

"Ohhhh, um, well," Leo cleared his throat and glanced at the pirate again, casually studying how the man and his comrades' were clothed. Although he was rather shocked with what Don implied, taking note of the style of clothes and the way the pirate dressed his hair, it all began to make sense. And, worse still, there was something oddly familiar about the man, too.

Nevertheless, there was plenty of time to discuss the matter. Right now Leonardo had a problem to fix. "I think…my brother was just joking around; he likes be silly - um - like that, on occasion…right…Don?" Leo smiled uncertainly at his brother.

Don grumbled, "Not usually, but I guess we can say I made an exception - this time." He whispered again to his brother in blue, "Could have said something else, ya know."

"Could have said you were as loony as Mikey." Leo countered softly, smiling smugly.

"Hey, I heard that!" Mike protested.

Don shrugged, ignoring his baby brother, "Yeah, guess you could of, Leo. Thanks for the vote of confidence," to which Mike grumbled some more harrumphed indignantly.

Yet, realizing exactly where and _when_ they were, now, Don addressed the pirate once more, "So, um, I take it you arrived here on a…_Spanish_ galleon?"

"She's a fully-rigged, English-made ship, mate," Sparrow almost spat, "and - somewhat unique," he smiled thinly, then, "It's fast at any rate, a 'friend' gave her t'me, but why are ye interested in me ship?"

"Well, if we can come to an understanding here, we would like a lift." Leonardo smiled warmly, assuringly.

The pirate glanced at the turtle in blue and chuckled, "A lift?" He eyed the reptile warily and then walked a quarter ways around the beast, visually inspecting the creature's size and shell. Although the turtle was a good head shorter than he was, Jack could already tell that the beast's overall physique was quite substantial. Standing to one side of Leonardo, "an' why would ye want me to pick ya up?"

"My brother means, we would like to sail with you, for a time, until we find what we're looking for." Don brought out one of the gold coins from his pouch and flipped it over to show the backside. Exposing the hieroglyphic and stepping towards the pirate to hand him the coin, "See this drawing?"

Jack never moved from his position, as he was still wary of the beast. However, with one hand on the hilt of his sword, he took the coin in his other, to see what Don was talking about. Of course, he recognized the coin itself, but he played along, for now anyway. "Okay, yes, it seems t'have a lot of squiggly lines." He smiled and looked at the creature again, before glancing at the other three. Clutching the coin tightly, Jack guessed that the beasties were completely unaware of the 'whys and hows' of their resuscitation and, for now, he would keep quiet about it.

"I believe it's a map of sorts," Don explained,"and it might lead us to where we need to go in order to get back with…our kind. You see, we're…rather lost."

"So," Gibbs interrupted, waving his hand around to indicate the cavern and the area in general, "yer not native to - Isla de Muerta?"

" Island of the Dead, is that what you call this place?"

Gibbs only nodded to Don's query, with the turtle continuing, "No, we've never been here before," He smiled then, "In fact, we're from the New Amsterdam area, but I think you now call it New York?" At the mention of their home state, Don saw Raphael now turn his attention to the conversation, ignoring the girl for the moment, as he focused on the two men.

Just the same, Donatello paused, realizing he couldn't very well tell the human how he and his brothers arrived on the island. Finally, he took a deep breath and then said, "A _witch_ sent us here with one of her spells. It seemed she didn't like turtles, especially talking ones." He smiled softly, as his brothers turned and stared, mouths gaping incredulously at him.

When he finally recovered from his surprise, though, "A _witch_…that's the best ya can do, Don?" Raphael was somewhat amusement.

"Given the circumstances right now, Raph, yes, it is."

"Right, guess it would be hard to explain interdimentional portals. Shell, even I don't I understand it." Raphael then addressed the pirate, "So, can ya give us a lift, a _ride_, to New York City?"

" New York City is far from here," Elizabeth interrupted. Throughout listening to the discourse, she had gained confidence with the creatures' surprising intellect. "It would take several weeks to get there," she explained and then added, almost apologetically, "As it is, it's in the opposite direction of where we're going."

Suddenly, a less than pleased expression bloomed on the red-wearing turtle's face, startling the girl. She took a cautionary step back and, with her pistol still in hand, Elizabeth prepared for the worst.

However, in that moment, Don quickly noticed the girl's renewed insecurity and his brother's burgeoning distress, so he stepped in-between the two, saying, "Raph, I don't think New York is where we need to go, at least not yet."

"What'd'ya mean, Don, 'course it is, that's our home." Raph began feeling a bit of panic, now, as it worked it's way up the back of his shell. He had had enough of islands and adventures and…and humans wearing strangely outdated clothing. In fact, he had just noticed that all of the humans were wearing similar costumes like what they had found in the cave back home. It was a little odd and strangely disconcerting. Yet, all that Raph cared about in that moment was getting back to the familiar sights and smells of his sewer home.

"Yes, I know that Raph, but not NOW, not at this TIME!" Don insisted softly.

"Whaddya talkin' about, brainiac? As far as I'm concerned, now IS the time to go home; Splinter's probably worried sick about us!"

Leonardo finally intervened, stepping alongside his brother and looking him straight in the eye, "Didn't you hear what year it is - right NOW?"

"No, Leo, I didn't, and I really don't care, 'cause…" Raph glared at his brother, indicating an accusing finger at the girl, "I was busy keeping _my_ eyes on the guns, especially that girl's. Or didn't you notice that she has the hammer cocked on her pistol. I think she reloaded!" He sneered at Elizabeth, now, causing her to pull her weapon further behind her and out of sight. "Yeah, toots, I'd think twice about shooting me again. You won't get a second chance, believe me."

"Raph, just . quit . it."

"Fine, I will, Leo, but don't blame me if she shoots you." He looked at the girl and grinned, "Shoot him first, 'kay? He's stubborn enough to deserve it." Raph addressed his brother again, "But please explain t'me, Leo, why we can't go home now?"

Leo leaned in and mumbled something into his sibling's ear and as he did, Raphael's eyes went saucer wide, and wider still as the reality of what Leonardo was telling him finally settled in.

When Leonardo finished, Raph looked at the pirates and then back to Leo again, "Ya _have_ t'be kiddin' me…serious?" He stared at his brother in blue, who simply stood there and nodded. Raphael then saw both Don and Mikey's affirming gestures as well, which meant that Leo wasn't kidding at all. The turtle then stared incredulously at the humans, assessing their apparel a second time, before rolling his eyes, "Great, just great, an' how d'ya expect us to get home, now?"

"We have to find more caves like the one we arrived in, Raph," Don explained and then turned to the pirate, "We found a cave high up in the mountains on this island and it had 'pictures' carved into the floor and along the walls that match the ones on the coin. Have you seen any other cave during your travels that have similar etchings?"

Jack shrugged, waving a delicate hand, "No, we haven't, but we don't have time t'search for such thingies. As it is, we're on a quest and it has t'do with th'gold ya gave me."

"What about the gold?" Don asked, curious.

The pirate showed the coin to the turtle, "We have t'return every gold piece to th'chest, 'cause we have t'take all of it back to its 'riginal owners."

A sudden discontented whine interrupted the conversation as Mike asked, "But, can't we take a couple of the coins, I mean," he looked back at the stone chest, "there's a _lot_ there, I'm sure one or two won't hurt."

"Sorry, mate…um…ye know, it'd prob'ly help if we knew the rest of yer names," Jack smiled cordially.

"Oh, sure, no problemo, bro. I'm Michelangelo, but you can call me Mike or Mikey!" He grinned in his usual disarming way, hands on hips, as he took a pose.

Then, Leo bowed, "I'm Leonardo, but you know that already."

"Donatello, but Don will do." Purple smiled and bowed as well.

"An' ya already know mine, but Raph works," he then looked over at his brother in blue, "And ya can call him Leo, since his head seems t'be up his…"

Leonardo huffed as he shot a warning look at his brother, "Raph, knock it off, okay, just cool it?"

"Hey, just tryin' t'make things easier, bro. Sometimes ya get too stuffy fer yer own good."

It was Gibbs this time who spoke next, "So, yer all Italian turtles or somethin?"

Leo shook his head, "No, our father named us after Renaissance artists, when he found a book in the - um - _library_ where he lived." Now, even Leo found it hard not to grin and he noticed that his brothers were having as hard a time, too. Still, it was the best way to explain things, for how could he tell a seventeenth-century man about living in a sewer in New York City, especially his version of the Big Apple? When he saw the approving look from Donatello, it seemed to confirm his decision, too.

The three humans nodded in understanding and then Jack asked, "So, how did ye get to be - so big? And how can ya talk an' fight an' all. Seems…unnat'ral."

Donatello provided the answer this time, "Once again, we fell under a spell by some - sorcerer. We were young at the time, babies actually, and so this present form is all we've known. Along the way, a _man_ took us in and taught us how to live and how to protect ourselves. He was - from Japan. He us how to be an honorable…people. We function in the same way as any of you do." He bowed then, hoping that referring to himself and his family as 'people' would convince the humans to be more accepting.

"Ah, I see," Jack nodded, "So, yer turtles that act like humans, then?" He sighed, "Guess that will do, but what's this honor thing, does it mean ye fight anyone who - doesn't seem to be trustworthy?" Jack raised one brow and waited, wondering how these turtles would feel about pirates.

"Well," Leo straightened his posture, now, a bit of pride edging his words, "we protect the weak and fight for justice, if that's what you mean. We won't kill anyone unless it's our last resort, but if push comes to shove, we'll do what we have to in order to stay alive or protect someone." He shrugged, "Which is why my brother, Raphael, killed your two men over there." He shook his head, "I'm sorry about that, since I know they were more afraid than anything."

"S'kay," Jack nodded, "come with th'territ'ry of what we do fer a livin' an'all. I'm sure they'll be - all right in a bit." Of course, he received four very puzzled expressions from the reptiles, for the men were quite dead, but the pirate chose not to elaborate on it. 

Nevertheless, that was when Raphael changed the topic, as he addressed the pirate, "Now, we've told you _our_ names and explained who we are…"

"Oh, right, of course," Jack cleared his throat as he stood a little taller and then smirked as he said, "M'name's Jack Sparrow, Cap'n Jack Sparrow, in fact, of the Black Purl, finest and fastest ship in th'Caribbean and ne're impossible t'catch, when set upon."

"Gibbs, here," the first mate added and straightened his posture, too, "and - an _associate_ of Cap'n Sparrow."

The turtles bowed acceptance and then looked to the girl.

While they were talking to Jack and Mr. Gibbs, it wasn't so bad. Elizabeth had forced herself to adjust to the four over-grown turtles with how human they behaved. Yet, the moment the bipedal reptiles turned their attention to her, the girl's once haughty attitude virtually evaporated. Between watching Raphael easily dispatch Sparrow's men and then to see him revive after she shot him dead, the girl was too tired to argue anymore. Although she had seen her fair share of strange events, her encounter and subsequent adventure with Barbossa had been the most startling. Yet, even that experience couldn't prepare her to find herself under the scrutiny of rather perceptive and formidable beasts, if not highly intelligent. Liz knew the 'strange' factor had just multiplied a hundred times.

Yet, before she could introduce herself, a sudden cough broke through the momentary lull in conversation. It was then when the girl realized she had been so distracted with these incredible creatures that she had completely forgot about her fiancé. As she now raced to his side, she shouted his name, "Will! Oh Will, you're alive…" and if it weren't for her need to be strong, Elizabeth would have cried with relief.

"Oh, my head, somebody please shoot me," Will moaned, sitting up, and resting his forehead in the palm of his hands. When he saw Elizabeth's gun however, his eyes grew wide, "I was only kidding."

As Elizabeth crouched next to him, though, she noticed blood staining the back of his head. So, she ripped the sleeve from her shirt and brought the tattered material to his wound, gently mopping around the injury.

"Hey, be careful," Will snapped irritably, but then he softened, "Sorry, Elizabeth, but it hurts something awful."

"That's all right, Will, just rest, everything will be fine." Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, her fear unfounded with losing her fiancé. Then, a more shocking horror took hold of her and she wondered if it was because of the curse that had resuscitated her beloved? She looked over at the pirate pensively, and then to where the men that Raphael had killed. They seemed as dead as they should be, with not one of them twitching, unlike the three turtles had done.

"Well, at least you're not cursed, my love," she whispered to Will.

"Cursed?" Turner looked up at her, his voice low, but then a movement caught his attention. The moment he saw the four bi-pedal turtles and all four alive and well, especially the one wearing red, he startled, "Don't tell me, but - are THEY cursed?"

Elizabeth sighed and then confirmed Will's suspicions, "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Even - him?" Will pointed to Raphael, not having any trouble whatsoever remembering how effectively the turtle had dispatched him. When Elizabeth nodded, thereby confirming his worst fear, Will Turner groaned. With his voice slightly louder than before, "Great, just great. They get the curse, which means …?"

"Cursed? What do you mean, cursed?" Leonardo interrupted, as his three brothers stepped closer around him.

Although quite aware of Will's concerns, Jack licked is lips and cryptically remarked, "I don't think the _conditions_ are quite right for us, lad, but - " he then turned to Donatello, "You don't happen t'have a couple more of those coins, now would ye?"

Don pulled two gold pieces from his pouch, handing the items to the pirate, "Here, there's more where these came from, but why do you need them and what's with this curse?"

"Well, ya see, it's like this," Jack began casually, as he made his way over to one of his dead shipmates. He placed one coin in the man's limp hand and then walked over to the second corpse and did the same with him. When he turned to face the four turtles, the dead men began to go through the same motions of revival as the creatures had done moments earlier. Jack glanced back to watch and then, when he was satisfied, he continued, "The gold is cursed, mates, the coin ya gave me - um - Donatello, is it? Well, it's Aztec gold, and it's cursed."

Four pairs of wondering eyes now stared incredulously at the two men, dead moments ago, but now very much alive. As the sailors staggered to an unsteady stand, they looked around. Yet, the moment they saw Raphael, they scrambled on uncertain legs to the far side of the cave, huddling. From there, they watched the turtles with great trepidation and fear.

"And this means what for us?" Leonardo asked the pirate, a deep-seated unease gripping him.

"It means that, basically, because ya touched the gold, the three of ya are undead."

"Oh. My. _GAAWWD!_" Mike couldn't rip his pouch open fast enough and flung his proffered 'loot' as far as he could throw it.

"NO, we can't lose a one…" In panic, Jack scampered passed the group of turtles and after the coins, quickly snatching up the gold before they rolled into the channel of seawater. He hugged the items close to his chest, now, explaining as he turned back around to face the creatures, again, "The curse can only be broken if and when each coin is returned to the chest and a bit of blood shed from all who participated in taking it. If not - then…" he paused as he looked at the four now-worried brothers.

"Then…what?" Leo asked, taking a determined step towards the pirate.

"Then, yer lust fer gold an' such will not be satisfied. You'll be driven mad by the desire t'ave more, but never quite 'ave yer thirst quenched. No amount of food or drink or pleasure will be enough, and, worst of all, at night, when the moon rises…"

"I DON'T WANNA BE A WERETURTLE!" cried Mikey as he fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself, as he begged and cried, "PLEASE, PLEASE tell me I won't be one of those things that howl at the moon and terrorize innocent villagers, and rips out the throat of beautiful young virgins." He looked up at the pirate, eyes filling with tears, and asked, "Um, or do I ravish them?" A slight smile slowly creased his muzzle, but a 'rap' against his head from Raphael sobered Mikey's hopeful expression.

"Knock it off, lamebrain!"

"Hey, it could happen an' I'd be helpless to stop it, too." Mike's smile grew wider still.

"What…is a _wereturtle_?" Will interrupted, as he and Elizabeth walked over to join Jack, Mr. Gibbs, and the creatures. The rest of the men did likewise, albeit quite warily. They kept a good distance between them and the turtles, though, their memory of Raph's weapon still quite fresh.

"Oh, it's nothing, just Mikey's imag'nation going off half-cocked, s'all." Raph rapped his brother on his head a second time, "Knock it off, Mike, you're scaring the natives."

As Michelangelo quieted his sniveling, Leo asked, "So, what _exactly_ will happen?"

"Well, to the point, Leonardo," Jack shrugged, "At night, in the light of the moon, when the curse is active, you'll be nothing but bones, skeletons actually, basically undead, but still very much alive."

The following scream had everyone covering their ears. As he stared at his youngest brother, Leonardo was certain that if it wasn't for their present location in _time_, Splinter would have probably heard Michelangelo's shriek of terror all the way back in New York City.

_A/N - A score equals 20 years. Half a score would be 10. _


	16. Honorable Suspicions

_**Disclaimer - **No, you're not seeing things; I really have updated a new chapter to my TMNT/POTC crossover. Go me. It's not much, but it's a start and I didn't get it beta-read, either, as I was quite anxious to put it up. (Sorry Cynlee, I just couldn't help myself. LOL) _

_Consequently, whatever problems or inconsistencies you catch, don't hesitate to let me know. _

_I had this mostly written last year, but I became overly concerned with how they'll get the treasure onboard the Pearl. That's not part of this chapter, but the resulting effects gave me writer's block, nonetheless. If anyone has an idea how best to hoist a one-ton block of granite and gold onto a sailing ship, email me. Don't PM, as I won't get it. Fan Fiction's alert systems are down and have been for some time, now. Or, PM me via Stealthy Stories. At least their alert features are running. _

_As always, I only own the story and the poles. Everyone else are the property of others. _

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**Chapter 16 - Honorable Suspicions **

As Don consoled him, Michelangelo sniveled, eyes closed, "There's no place like home; there's no place like home. Please, pretty please tell me it's only a bad dream."

"It's no dream, Mikey, but it…it's going to be all right," Don patted his frightened brother's shoulder, "Does Raph even _look_ like a skeleton?"

Slowly, Mike glanced over at his brother in red, his brow furrowed in worry. He blinked a few times before finally staring hard into Raphael's mask-less face. Suddenly, a smile ceased Michelangelo's own. "No," he chuckled, "he's just as ugly as always."

Growling, Raph slapped Mike across the head, which had Mikey laughing even more. However, it was then an unsettled thought occurred to the orange-wearing turtle and his eyes grew a little wider as he looked around. In horror, Mikey realized the cave seemed…less lit, as if the sun outside was nearing its westernmost path. Now, a new wave of concern fell over him and he looked beseechingly at his brother in red.

"Wh…what time is it, Raph?"

Shrugging, Raphael replied irritably, "Pffft…how the shell do I know, ya see a watch on m'wrist?" but then he looked over at Donatello, "Hey, Donnie, d'you know?"

Donatello glanced upwards at the ceiling far above and noticed the same reduction in light. With some of the torches winking out, as well - their fuel depleted, it further darkened the deeper recesses of the cave. Finally, he turned back to his bothers, "Might be near sunset."

Hyperventilating and with eyes now as big as saucers, Mikey turned to the pirate and asked, his voice rising in pitch, "Um, is it only when there's a full moon…that we turn into…_skeletons_?"

Jack shook his head, "Moonlight's all ya need, mate, doesn't matter if it's waxin' or wanin', but not t'worry, you'll still be alive…sort of." He then offered a quick, reassuring grin.

"Well, at least we have that," Mike sighed, seeming to accept his situation. He suddenly cheered, "Guess Halloween comes early this year, right bros?" He tried to grin wider, to find some humor in his situation, but it was obvious that Michelangelo would have preferred waiting a bit longer for his most favored holiday.

Satisfied his brother had finally accepted things well enough, Don turned to Jack, "So, Captain Sparrow, if what you say is correct, and we are indeed cursed - undead, how soon can we get back to normal?"

"Ya see, Donnie boy, it's like I said b'fore. I haves t'get th'gold back t'it's rightful owners…an'….they live a ways from here, not far, really," he added quickly, "An'considerin' the gold's powers an'all, m'good conscience won't rest 'til I do." He smirked wider, "Hey, but there is a consolation," he gestured, seeming to include the other humans behind him, "we all be as cursed as you four, so - in a sense - we're…all brothers, here."

Raph snorted, "Yeah right!" as Leonardo nodded slowly in understanding. He could tell that Mike and Don weren't too happy about it, either. Of course, it was an unsettling idea, turning into skeletons, but it was obvious to him that until Sparrow completed his plans, there wasn't much any of them could do about it.

Nevertheless, as Leo glanced at Raphael, he could tell his brother in red was ready to bleed out right there, if only to undo the curse.

Finally, "Okay," Leo nodded more eagerly, "we will help you. The more you have working towards that goal, the quicker we can all get back to our normal selves, right?"

Jack smiled bigger than before, "Absolutely, mate!"

A while later, the motley group of humans and turtles stood around the chest, sharing various ideas in how best to move it.

Mike, however, stayed as far from the center of their attention as he could and still be within reach of his brothers. He listened intently, though, as the others talked about getting the stone container and its contents back to the ship…that is, without sinking the rowboats first.

Before they delved into brainstorming for ways of moving the chest, however, Gibbs had gone back through the tunnels leading to the seaside entrance of the cave to retrieve the rest of the men. Without their assist, they wouldn't be able to do anything about the chest. Fortunately, the first mate found them waiting at the mouth of the tunnel, having yet to row back to the Pearl, although they seemed ready to do so when he emerged. In fact, the moment he did, Gibbs found himself ducking a shot from one of the more trigger-happy crewmembers. He couldn't rightly blame the man, of course; the very nature of the turtles would unnerve even the bravest of soldiers, but it did cause Gibbs to rush forward and instinctively grab the man by the throat.

"Next time, MATE, ya make sure I'm not wearin' a shell!" he bellowed, nose to nose with the sailor.

"Y-y-y-yes sir! S-s-s-sorry sir, didn't knows it was you," the man quivered apologetically.

Just the same, the fact the men didn't mutiny, caused Gibbs to thank all that was holy. He assured the men of a generous award for not doing so, too, even the one who had fired the shot. This brought quick smiles to everyone's faces and, of course, Gibbs didn't have a clue if Jack could or would reward them. He stayed quiet about that, however. He knew it was imperative to give the illusion of control, no matter the situation, and they desperately needed to avoid a mutiny at all cost.

_Still, the Cap'n's not going to be very happy about it. _he had muttered

After Gibbs explained about the event following their speedy departure from the cave, and once the crew reluctantly accepted the turtles as allies, they made their way back through the tunnel. And, along the way, the first mate warned them, "An' where they be cursed, ye knows no manner of gun or knife will kill 'em, so ya best accept 'em for now."

"Bet if we take a head, that'll stop'em," cackled one elderly sailor, his voice echoing slightly against the tunnel's rocky walls, "that's what someone said, decapitat'n's the only way t…"

"An' have the remaining three do you as well?" Gibbs interrupted, "You saw yerselves just how quick they be!"

The men groaned and murmured among themselves, the memory of that fact all too fresh. In the end, Gibbs tart reply quelled any further thoughts of betrayal. As they filed back into the cave, the sailors gave odd looks towards the upright terrapins, but once they realized the amicable truce between them and their captain, the men became a little more relaxed. Most kept their distance, as well, especially the two who had met the business end of Raphael's sai.

Satisfied the crew would behave, Gibbs left them to themselves, quickly rejoining his captain. As he sidled up alongside of Jack, he whispered something into the man's ear.

Sparrow's eyes widened slightly.

"Poss'bly," Jack kept his voice low so only his first mate could hear him, "ye have over-reached yer influence, Mister Gibbs," The pirate glanced once at his men. He saw their curious looks, with a few smiling and waving at him. It was obvious they thought him a fine captain, especially with Gibbs' promise of a reward. Of course, once they learned there wouldn't be, he'd have to face their disappointment, but that wouldn't happen just yet.

In any event, he returned the grin and gave a small wave in reply.

As he cleared his throat, he turned towards his first mate, and cocked one eyebrow, "Although I'm happy t'know they didn't mutiny, maybe we can find somethin' t'thank them with. Possibly…" he looked back towards Leo and his brothers, all four meeting his gaze. Sparrow lowered his voice even more, "their weapons or even their…shells, might fetch a coin or two," but Jack shook his head as he addressed Gibbs again, "Nay, I'm certain we'll find something else that's…as valuable….in order t'thank 'em."

"Hope so, Cap'n, the crew looked mighty happy when I told 'em ya would."

"I'm sure they did, Mr. Gibbs."

As the two men talked and as Will and Elizabeth's attention focused on their shipmates, Raph turned his back in order to face Leonardo, "I don't like this, Leo," he mouthed softly, giving a barely noticeable nod towards the humans, "they have guns and curse or no curse, I don't like getting shot at."

"I know," Leo replied softly, "but we can't get off this island without their help."

"An' who's t'say that this curse, when it's over, won't revert us back to how we were before it changed us?" His eyes widened slightly, "You were dead. I was too, as was Mike. We have no guarantees if this," Raph lowered his voice even more, almost mouthing his words, "Jack Sparrow guy is telling the truth. I don't think he's giving us the whole story about this curse or that gold. His body language, the way he grins every time he answers a question, it's a ruse, Leo, a con…I can sense it. I don't think this guy's as honorable as he makes himself out to be."

Taking as step closer to his brother, Leo smiled, nodding, "I know and I agree, but…for now, we play along, okay?"

A pause passed between them, both brothers speaking more with their eyes than with words. Finally, Raph nodded, _Okay_.

Someone behind Raph cleared their throat, causing the turtle to turn around. One hand instinctively went for his sai, coming just short of unsheathing it. Fortunately, he didn't, but he did notice Jack smiling again, a little wider, in fact, but it was the same mischievous smile he was beginning to trust less and less.

_It's all too - convenient_, he grumbled. _But, Leo's right, for now, we have to play along. _

Waving a hand in the direction of the chest, Jack entreated, "Well, mates, les' decide how best t'get me chest onboard the Pearl, shall we?"

The four turtles and humans then grouped closer together, each one offering ideas. Gibbs had suggested that Leo and his brothers do the carrying, but all four turtles seemed quite unhappy with that.

"No, I don't think that will do." Leo shook his head, insisting instead, "I feel it should be a shared responsibility, between your people and us."

"But ya might be stronger, lad, more capable," Gibbs suggested, one hand indicating the turtles' stout physique.

"That's possible but I won't consign my brothers into doing all the work. I will still assign one for each side, though, while you decide on four of yours, or however many it takes to move the chest to the boats."

Sparrow listened to the repartee between his first mate and Leonardo, the obvious leader of this strange group of human-turtles. Finally, after hearing Leo's suggested arrangement, Jack remarked, "Leonardo, I think you…don't trust us."

Leo bowed slightly, "Actually, it is you who has problems with trust. Your acceptance of us has been quicker than most humans we've met. But, I believe trust is earned and, quite simply, there hasn't been enough time for that." He noticed a quick dissent fall over the group by the river, with quiet, unsettling comments of worry rising up from the men. One man rested a hand on his pistol and so Leo quickly added, looking at Jack again, "But, if you give us time and room to prove ourselves, you will find us capable and loyal to a fault." He smiled then, pointing up to where his katana showed above his back, "Especially in battle."

Sparrow pressed his hands together under his chin, nodding acceptance, "You are observant, Leonardo, I'll give ya that, and…ye are correct, mate." He bowed deep this time, "I apologize for me and m'men's lack o'faith. As you say, trust is earned and I sup'ose it does go both ways?" He chuckled and then winked, "I looks forward to our first joint encounter."

"Hopefully, that will never happen, but if it does, my brothers and I will fight with honor."

_Honor, eh?_ Jack had to wonder about that. He wondered exactly how far this creature and its brethren would take such a word as…_honor_.

And he was confident that if things went as planned, he had many ways to thwart such allies possessing more honor than what he was comfortable with. To Jack, it seemed the kind of honor Leonardo spoke of would be the very kind easily turned against him…and that was just something the pirate wouldn't allow.

Jack Sparrow stroked his chin and, after a moment, smiled back at the turtle in blue, "I'll expect nothin' less, laddy."

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_**A/N** - Yes, a little dissent into suspicion, my friends. I thought they were a little to chipper in the previous chapter and, let's face it, both sides would distrust the other at this point, where they're just getting' t'know one anoth'r. LOL Then again, time may only confirm Raphael's (and probably Jack's) more immediate concerns, too. Bwahahahaha _


	17. Wood, It Be

_**Disclaimer - **__My humblest apologies, Readers._ _This has been one very confusing story for me. Blame my long hiatus during the time of my father's surgery, or the fact my mind was on other matters at the time last year. But, Chapter 17 won't be new. I had - once again - left a chapter out - way back around chapter 12. It's one that I really, really liked, too, one that…will be new to you. It's titled __**These Aren't Your Average Turtles**__. Just a little interlude between the POTC's initial encounter with the TMNT's and what happened next. I debated about slipping it in, but no story of mine is ever set in stone, not until I breathe my last bit of air. _

_And, as a reward for your patience and understanding, I'll have another update coming almost on the heels of this one. _

_:0) Well, as before, I only own the idea…and the poles. _

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**Chapter 17 - Wood, It Be**

"So," Jack asked, waving a delicate hand at the treasure, "any one of ya have ideas how best t'move it?"

"Well," Don said thoughtfully, "given the weight of the chest, we can't just pick it up, so that means there must be another way."

Raph rolled his eyes, "Wow, what a revelation, Don. You certainly outdid yourself with that one."

"I was just stating the obvious, for clarification, Raph." Ignoring his brother's smirk, Don crouched in front the chest, "Because, whoever brought this chest here might have left behind the implement used in moving it." He ran his hand along the edge, gripping it now and then, as if looking for handholds. He harrumphed, "Nothing out of the ordinary though. Nothing to grab onto at all." Stroking his chin, Don mused, "Could have used timber to roll it, but…I doubt they could, given the uneven nature of the cave floor. "

As Don further examining the chest, he ran his hand down around one end. That was when he noticed something odd. His eyes widened curiously, as his fingers felt around. There seemed to be an indentation of some sort. Don 'hmmed' softly, the kind of murmuring that usually guaranteed an idea. Staying in his squat, Donatello scooted sideways crab-like, working his way around that end of the chest and, the moment he did and saw what his fingers had felt, he smiled. He checked the opposite side and found the same thing.

Shaking his head, Don finally stood up, grinning, "It's already rigged with openings. They run from one end to the other, apparently bored through the stone, somehow, but there should be two long poles somewhere. Look for something about twelve feet long."

As Don began searching through the scattered debris of treasure, his brothers did likewise. Hesitantly, Will and Gibbs joined the hunt and then, finally, reluctantly, Jack and Elizabeth.

However, Jack's crewmen stayed back, standing close to the tunnel leading out to where they had the boats moored. Apparently, they were happy to observe the proceedings, rather than help look for the poles. Of course, remaining close to the one tunnel gave them the option of a speedy exit, but more importantly, it kept them safe from the strange, giant, humanoid turtles.

While they searched the cave, Elizabeth busied herself picking up items and looking underneath, systematically staying close to Sparrow. She waited until Donatello and his brothers were out of earshot, before sidling up next to Jack. As he bent down to lift up a golden chalice and inspected it with a critical eye, he heard the woman next to him whisper, "You sure you can trust these _creatures_?"

"I trust them as much as they trust me, lass." Sparrow returned the cup to its resting place, pretending to scan the cavern as Elizabeth continued the conversation.

"In other words," she narrowed an eye, glaring at the pirate, "until they serve their purpose?"

"Exactly, love." He smiled and then turned back to exploring the treasure again.

"Rather dishonorable of you, Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth sighed, "but it works for me. And you keep forgetting that I'm **not** your 'love'"

"Sad, but true…on both counts…_Miss Swan_," the pirate smirked, turning slightly her way, one eyebrow raised, "But, you can be sure my heart hasn't forgotten th'you belong to Mister Turner."

Elizabeth snorted, "You're impossible."

Sparrow grinned, "I try me best, lass!" and then moved a step away from the girl.

The woman gave a half sneer, scuttling after the man, and grabbing his arm for emphasis. Elizabeth growled low, "Still, you had better not get us killed, Captain. These…_turtles_ seem quite capable of retaliating."

"Yes, I knows," the pirate shrugged from her grip, "and I am working on that problem as we speak." He cocked an eyebrow, "Have some faith, lass."

Elizabeth folded her arms in front of her and sniffed, "Rather interesting for you to talk about faith!"

Before Sparrow could add to their repartee, they Donatello suddenly remark, his voice echoing against the cave walls. Everyone stopped their search and turned towards him.

"I think I found it."

Donatello glanced straight up from where the chest sat. He noticed the pile of treasure made its way up towards a nest of rocks above it and as he focused past the dark, that's when he saw them.

Near the back and somewhat hidden in the deepening shadows, there stood two poles, almost in salute. At nearly twelve feet in height, they appeared planted among the rocky debris, crisscrossing at the very top where they leaned into one another. Don saw that the poles formed a simple V-shaped arc over the vast treasure below. Then, around the top and tying the ends together, he detected red cloth.

"Those poles up there, they might help us."

Don quickly began climbing the mound. He worked his way up through the collection of artifacts until he reached the pile of rocks. Much to his disappointment, though, when he yanked the poles free, he found that they were made of wood. Yet, no matter where Don looked, they seemed to be the only poles available. He gave one last glance around and sighed, before balancing the supports across his shoulder, and then making his way back down to where the others waited.

As Don rejoined his brothers and the humans, he stood the poles on end in front of him. Raphael laughed when he saw what they were.

"Wood?" S'not strong enough, brainiac!"

"It's all we have, Raph," Don practically snapped. As he eyed the poles' length and compared his visual measurements to the chest, "If they fit through the openings," he surmised, "then they have to be the right ones, and where they seem long enough to allow for handholds at both ends, too, they should work."

Curiously, Sparrow walked over and took one of the poles in hand. The pirate held it up, testing its weight, and then frowned with how heavy it was, but he seemed pleased, nonetheless. After running a hand along the length, he pulled out a short knife, pressing it into wood. When it barely scratched the surface, the man smiled, "Tis ironwood, lads, strongest wood in the world by my reckonin'. Axe-breakers they calls 'em." He gave the pole back to Don, nodding, as if quite certain of his assessment.

Don's eyes lit up, then, and he smiled, "Yes, of course. Aztecs didn't have sophisticated means to melt metals, such as iron, so they had to use what nature provided. Brilliant!"

Satisfied he had the correct poles, Don stepped back and brought the top ends down to where he could remove the red material. Working them loose, however, proved the cloth somewhat fragile, as it tore easily.

"Damn," he hissed, rather surprised, "I didn't take that into consideration. Must be pretty old." He looked over at Jack, who had already walked back to his friends, "How old is this curse, Captain Sparrow?"

Sparrow shrugged impassively, "Since the days of Cortez, or close to it. At least, that's what they say."

"So…that would make this over two-hundred and fifty years old?" Don's face screwed up a bit, "Interesting that it hasn't completely decayed by now, not with how much humidity there is in the cave."

"The way of curse, lad!" Gibbs remarked cheerily.

"Yeah…heh…guess so…" Donatello sighed, working carefully; not wanting to ruin what was most certainly an antiquated textile. Curse or no curse, Don had an appreciation for historic finds. Still, as he worked, he quickly saw that each piece of material had threading woven into it, like embroidery. It created a design and one that began to look familiar the more Don unraveled it.

His excitement intensified.

Once he had both pieces of fabric separated, he held one out, flag-like, exposing a rectangular shape. His brothers gathered around him, while the humans stayed back and watched.

It wasn't the shape, though, that caught Don's interest. It was the design embroidered into the material.

When his brothers realized what it was, their collective gasp echoed throughout the cavern. Don then took the other piece of fabric, holding it out as well.

He smiled, triumphant, "Raph, hold the poles, I need to use both hands."

As his brother took possession of the poles, Don carefully exposed both pieces of fabric. He grin widened further.

"Well, these are certainly the right ones," Don remarked, "The ties have similar drawings like what's on the coins, only the design on the right flag is incomplete, like what we saw in the cave. Except for the straight line running down from the last stair step here," he pointed, "it's nearly identical." He paused a bit, before adding, "Hmm…I wonder why it doesn't show a complete picture, though. Why only have a partial when the coins show the whole hieroglyphic?"

As Don thought about that, Jack turned to his friends. He swallowed nervously and it wasn't lost on the other three that he didn't like what he saw.

Keeping his voice just below a whisper, "What d'ye thinks this means, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked worriedly, "If these poles belongs to the Aztecs, that would mean they brought the treasure here…right?"

"I thought their _gods_ did?" Will added.

"You knows as well as I do," Jack whispered, "that any prim'tive will blame a god for a vari'ty of ills - _and_ gains. Yet, it seems a wee bit…_tempting_, t'have the poles readily available here and in this cave, no less." He glanced once at the four turtles and then addressed his friends again, "As ye know, Barbosa didn't take the chest," Gibbs nodded in affirmation, as Jack went on to explain, "He only gathered th'gold in buckets, transporting it to th'ship tha'way. He wouldn't bother with th'chest; t'wasn't valu'ble enough." He lowered his voice even more, forcing his three companions to huddle closer to him in order to hear, "However, if a _god_ was indeed respons'ble…that straight line might mean there's more t'the curse." He grimaced, "The chest might be part of something more - sinister. Moving it might not be a good idea. The line running _down_ might mean Davy Jone's locker! T'be safe, we best get the chest and its gold to th'Pearl as quick as poss'ble."

"Why not do as Barbosa did, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked, "I mean, why tempt fate."

"Because I wants t'make sure we don't leave any stone unturned, just in case the chest is necess'ry to break the curse. After all," Sparrow glanced over at Will, "the gold was IN the chest when you sprinkled your blood over th'coins."

Will gave an affirmed nod and then asked, "Right…and as for these turtles?"

"We use them to get the gold t'the boats."

"And what then?" Gibbs asked, eyeing Jack expectantly.

"Well…I don't know. Our pistols are useless where they're cursed n'all. Might have t'take 'em along."

Gibbs quickly remarked, his voice a bare whisper, "Too bad they be cursed, Cap'n. Intelligent or not, ya knows th' four would provide enough food fer th'men during the trip."

"Indeed!" Sparrow said grimly, "but until we break the curse, they stay our allies."

Three voices chorused determinedly "Right."

As the four humans discussed their own situation, the turtles engaged in one of their own.

Don gestured to his youngest brother, "Hmm…Mike, come here and hold this flag, I want to sketch the drawing down."

As Mike stepped up and grabbed one corner of the material and holding it out, Raph growled impatiently, "Don, we got more important things t'worry about than anotha art lesson."

"Hey, this might provide a clue and help us get home!"

Raph sighed, "How is that?"

"Well," Don explained, pointing to the flag Mike held, "this flag shows only one additional part to the hieroglyphic we saw in the cave."

"But, if the coins have the whole picture," Mike shrugged, "why bother with only part of it. I don't understand."

"Mikey," Don smiled patiently, "ancient civilizations often used a series of steps, or combinations when they had an important map. If you use them out of order, it could be disastrous. I believe this flag is telling us where to go next."

"Oh, kind of like an Indiana Jones sort of thing?" Mike grinned, the idea of an adventure sounding more fun than turning into a skeleton.

"Exactly, Mike! And where we want to get back to our time, we better do as the flag instructs."

Raph growled, "It better get us home, Donnie, cuz I'm past hungry. I could eat a whole mango orchard, the way I'm feelin'."

"Yeah, dude, only I'm in the mood for something else. I wonder if pizza's been invented yet."

Leo quickly whispered, "Don't think so, Mike, and I believe we better be careful with what we say while we're here. Need to remember where we are." He gave a sideways glance at the humans and noticed they seemed more involved with their own conversation, whatever it was they were discussing. He had just heard one of them say something about a Barbosa, but then their voices faded away, making it difficult for him to know what it was they were saying. Just the same, he had been too interested in Donnie's flags to pay any more attention to it.

Leonardo turned back to his brothers, mindful to whisper his voice, "Don, maybe later you can fill us in about this timeline, what to say, what not to?"

"I'll try," Don remarked, shoving a hand into his belt, procuring his notebook and pen. Flipping the book open to his last entry, "This particular century isn't necessarily my specialty." He looked over at the material again before commencing to scribbling another drawing into his notepad.

When he was done, Donatello looked back at the flag Mike held. Running a finger along the threading, Don remarked, "Here's the earthquake line, could be a mountain, of course, but - now we have another line running straight down from where the first one ends. I wonder where that next stop will be?" He looked over at Jack, pointing towards the seaside tunnel, "Captain Sparrow. Would there be another island that runs straight in that direction, from where you have your ship anchored?"

Jack shrugged, "Always an island somewheres, mate, but…" Still, the pirate turned to glance in the direction Don had pointed anyway. With his chin tilted upwards slightly, the man stared and then turned back, replying, "I believe there is."

Suddenly, Jack's eyes lit up, as if he had an idea. He smiled and walked over to the turtle, shoving a hand into his coat pocket. Bringing out a small octagonal box, black in color and trimmed with gold, the pirate seemed to regard it with reverence before glancing at Donatello again. Sighing, the man opened the box and handed it to the turtle, "This will tell ya in what direction ye needs to sail, mate."

Don took the proffered container and easily recognized what it was. He smiled, amused, "A compass! Neat!" However, unlike normal compasses, the pivot on this one appeared to dance around, avoiding the northwards heading completely. "But, it…it seems broken; it's not even sure where north is."

"S'not broke, lad. Jus'…give it time," Sparrow's grin softened as he added, "it needs…to get t'know ye first." His face then took on a wistful expression, "It's a rather unique compass, giv'n t'me by a…a good _friend_, a lovely lass she was, too…um _is_…I think?" His brow creased uncertainly, "…s'been a while, not sure if she's still 'round even…"

As Jack muttered on, Michelangelo stepped closer to Don, watching the needle on the compass move around haphazardly. It rounded the dial to the left, then the right, then all the way around to the left, and then, suddenly, it slowed on a particular direction point.

"Hey, look," Mike remarked excitedly, "It's stopping."

"It is?" Jack leapt eagerly to Donatello's side, forgetting his musings. He crouched a bit beside the turtle and, with brows rising expectantly, peered intently at the box. The moment he saw the pivot hover at a bearing south southeast of their present location, he declared happily, giving a single clap of his hands, "Well, look't that, it did." Then Jack straightened and cheerfully announced, "Ye certainly have th'magic touch…Donatello!"

"Heh, thanks!" Don seemed genuinely pleased with the compliment, still he was mesmerized with the strange compass.

With a flourish, Jack snatched the compass from the turtle, surprising Don, and had it pocketed before Don could react. The ninja blinked in surprise but shrugged, watching as the man whipped around to face his men.

Motioning hastily with one hand, "Hurry now, men, we have the bearings," the pirate quickly turned heel to face Leonardo, saying, "Me men will help ya, as many as ye need, s'we can get the chest onboard m'boat, eh…_ship, _as soon as possible."

"You seem to be in a rush, Captain Sparrow," Leo eyed the man warily. "Is something wrong?" The ninja easily spotted the nervousness in Jack. He wore it like the coat on his back and that had Leonardo concerned. Was there more to the curse than what the man admitted to?

"Wrong, wrong?" Jack laughed, "of course there's nothing wrong, lad, why should there be anything wrong!" Jack gave Leo a quick smile, before going back to ushering his men over to the treasure.

As Raph volunteered and took one of the poles, slipping it through the near side of the chest, one of Sparrow's men did likewise with the other. Soon, they had both poles inserted and ready for lifting. Just as Donnie assumed, they fit perfectly, too. There was enough extension both front and back and on each side for at least three men to grab.

Smiling wide, Don gushed, "Well, guess I was right after all!"

"Yeah, so long as the poles - or our shells - don't break," Raph complained, claiming the front left as his. "The chest and gold combined prob'bly weigh half a ton!"

"Oh, the poles won't break, Raph," Don remarked cheerily. He quickly grabbed the opposite side from his brother, "iron wood is aptly named. It's near impossible to cut down and it doesn't splinter, either, so these poles should work perfectly!" He watched as two of Jack's crewmen hesitantly slipped in behind him. They studied the back of Don's carapace with interest but when they saw Raph glare back at them, they immediately focused on the ceiling above, trying to act nonchalant.

Another two joined Raph, with six more sailors taking up the rear. Now, there were three handlers for each side, both front and back, making a total number of twelve carriers.

As it turned out, the poles were indeed strong enough to lift the heavy chest of gold and, between Sparrow's men helping Don and Raph, they managed to raise the chest from off its dais. Then, carefully, the carriers picked their way down through the stash of other treasure and across the small creek, heading towards the seaside exit.

Since all of Jack's crewmen who had come to shore were now busy carrying the chest, Sparrow walked alongside, making sure it didn't topple over. He watched as Gibbs led the way, with Will and Elizabeth just behind him, and the turtle Michelangelo between them and the ones named Raphael and Donatello. He glanced across the chest and saw that Leonardo seemed just as interested in keeping the treasure from tipping and he was glad for it. Still, the pirate wondered how they were all going to get out to the Pearl. He had only brought two boats to shore and one he had designated for the treasure. That was all it could carry, as it would have a hard enough time managing the chest without sinking.

The second boat would have had to ferry everyone else, and where it was originally built for ten, it would already be crowded with the original fourteen. Now, though, with the four turtles, that would mean he would risk sinking that boat as well. Jack sighed, wondering how he would get out of this one. He couldn't very well make the creatures stay behind, they would force their way for sure, unless…

He smiled, an idea coming to mind. Indeed, he did have a plan and one that might not sit well with one member of his team, but pirating was always about sacrifice…wasn't it?

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_**A/N**_ _- I wonder what Jack is planning to do! Muahahaha_


	18. Kidnapped!

**Disclaimer - **Ah, and so the thought plickens, um the plot thickens. :0) I only own the story, nothing else. Not even a gold coin, but then, maybe that's a good thing? LOL

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**Chapter 17 - Kidnapped!**

As the group continued moving through the tunnels, Mike suddenly asked, "So, dudes, how're we getting this chest onto the boat?"

That had Don hesitating a bit, which wasn't good, considering he was in front with Raphael. His sudden loss of momentum, however, forced Raph to nearly trip, putting him off balance. The result had him turning slightly in front of his brother. That action alone had those behind him doing likewise and they almost lost their grip as well.

"Hey, genius, ya just can't stop like that!" Raph complained.

Some of the men banged against the volcanic rock walls, forcing Leo to jump ahead and out of harms way.

Scraping along the roughened surface, cries of protest echoed loudly in the narrow tunnel, causing everyone else to grimace in sympathy.

"Sorry, sorry…" Don apologized, "But Mike is right; how are we getting this out to the ship?"

Suddenly, a low rumbling shook the ground and the men and turtles startled. Sparrow sprinted to the front to join Leonardo, Mike and the other humans. The pirate waved them forward, "Keep going, we can't stop, we'll use one of the boats for just the chest, make two trips for the rest of us if nec'sary, but we can't stop…"

"Why not?" Mike asked as he followed a quick-stepping Jack Sparrow.

"Because, laddy," Sparrow replied, indicating the treasure with a single jerk of his head, "th'cursed chest is rather partic'lar about where it lives and it likes this cave and if we tarry too long, it might want t'keep us here as well."

Mike's eyes widened in horror, "Why didn't you tell us that before?"

"Didn't want ye messin' with me plan and make me leave it behind; have to get the chest back t'where it belongs, no matter what!"

Suddenly, as the team of mutants and humans traveled hastily through the tunnels, a roar of falling rock echoed up from behind them, as if the entire ceiling in the cave had given way.

Raph nearly jumped out of his shell, "What th'ell was that?"

Sparrow called back, "I don't think ya want to know, lad, but we better speed this up 'fore what happened back there happens right here."

Leading the other carriers, Raph and Don picked up the pace, easily assuming what the man implied. The increased momentum elicited a few groans of protest from the men behind them. The tunnel remained intact, though, but imagining otherwise caused everyone to move faster.

Sparrow glanced up every now and then, though, his worried eyes taking in every detail of the tunnel ceiling. He looked over at Leonardo and smiled, "Regardless of what happens here on out, laddy, b'glad yer comin' with us."

"Why is that ?" Leo asked as they rushed through the tunnel.

"Because, Leonardo," Jack eyed the turtle as he came along side of him, "this island is goin' t'sink the moment tha'chest is off the island. I only hopes we can get it to the ship before it happens, though."

"And you know this how?" Raph hissed from behind, overhearing the discussion, his bubbling ire adding to the strain of carrying his portion of the treasure.

Before Sparrow could reply, however, another loud clamor echoed from the cave now well behind them. At the same time, the ground beneath their feet began to swell and buck.

"All too familiar, if ya ask me!" Raph yelled, digging in as he sped up the pace. "Everyone, keep movin'!"

The terrain was rocky and uneven, so it made their travel a bit awkward. Dust and small particles of rock rained down on them, now, as the rumbling intensified, reminding them all too well how treacherous their task had become. The group made haste through the tunnel as fast as they could, heading for the seaside exit. In fact, it had become a bit of a race with everyone likeminded to leave the island.

When they finally broke free from the tunnel and saw the ocean, as well as the ship moored a hundred yards out, there were glad cheers among the group. Then, another ominous rumble growled from behind and several small rocks dislodged and fell around them. As Don looked back, he saw part of the tunnel give way, forever blocking any return to the cave.

The groups' enthusiasm quieted.

Gibbs was first out to the moored rowboats. The moment Jack caught up with him he took a mooring line. Between him, Gibbs and Will, the trio turned the boats around so that the prows faced the Black Pearl. They brought the portside of one next to the rocky shore near where those who carried the chest stood, with the starboard facing away.

Jack quickly declared, "Careful, men, ease the chest into the boat."

"I think they need to rest, first," Leo suggested, "to adjust their balance and renew their strength. Despite what you say the island is going to do, if they don't, they could end up dumping the gold into the bay and then that will cost us more time in retrieving the coins."

Sparrow's eyes widened at the thought and so he eagerly agreed, "Yes, by all means, can't get this far and lose the lot. Evry'one put the chest down. Now…_carefully_, though…please?" he grinned pleadingly.

The men and two turtles were more than happy to comply. As they caught their breath and shook the stress from their arms and hands, small tsunami-like waves washed up over the rocks, splashing against the stone chest and feet. Don looked at Raph and shook his head, "Only the beginning if what the Captain says is true."

"Bigger waves?" Raph swallowed.

"Enough to dwarf that ship out there."

"Great."

Another rumble and quaking from the island had all of them jumping like nervous hens.

Sparrow turned and instructed hastily, "Now, you six in the back, stay where you are." He motioned to Raph, Don and the men in partnership with them, "You six need to turn around in place, t'where you're facing the others behind ye," Jack's eyes widened, "B'don't drop th'chest, lads."

Carefully, the six did as instructed, keeping their end of things level.

Next, the pirate addressed the entire group, "When I gives the word, everyone's goin't'lift at the same time and then those starboard side will get into the boat first. Those of you here, on the portside will guide the chest in, but do not get into th'boat; I fear it will sink otherwise." He swallowed nervously, "Then, those of you in th'boat, make haste back to land. The rest of us will make sure th'boat doesn't tip or stray."

"Aye!" Gibbs declared and went about holding the stern firmer in his grip, with Mike going around to help him.

Will and Leo steadied the bow, while Sparrow stood back, his hands pressed together in prayerful supplication. Elizabeth grabbed up the other boat's mooring, keeping it grounded against the rocky shoreline, as she watched the proceedings.

The moment everyone seemed ready, Sparrow exclaimed, "Okay, on th'count of three, lift and then starboard men, step into the boat…one, two…" and with an anxious, pitchy voice, "three!"

In unison as if they had practiced it ahead of time, the handlers closest to the boat stepped inside, bringing the chest with them. The others on the portside acted at the same time, guiding the chest over the wooden sides. Their hands whitened from the stress of grasping the poles at such an odd angle and there were many grunts and groans, but not one coin dislodged.

The moment they lowered the stone container down into the boat and onto the seats, the wood splintered clean in half, unable to bear the weight. The noise it made caused Jack to rush forwards in panic, his hands out as if to assist, but, fortunately, the boat remained seaworthy. Only the seats had suffered under the treasure's load.

As Raph and the other portside carriers leapt back onto the rocks and as the other men steadied the boat, Will tied the rope to the other one. As he did, he remarked, "Well, looks like someone will be doing a bit of repair along the way."

The settling of the chest, however, caused the vessel to sit deep in the water. This had everyone holding his or her breath, hoping against hope the small vessel wouldn't sink. When it finally leveled out, though, only three inches kept the boat from sinking all together.

Suddenly, a roll of thunder clapped overhead, interrupting the groups' preoccupation with the treasure chest. Quickly following that, a bolt of lightening lit up the cloud-covered sky. "Perfect," Jack hissed, and then motioned quickly towards the other boat, "Everyone gets in, before the storm comes upon us."

"Will all of us fit?" Leo asked, noting that there were eighteen of them and the boat didn't look like it would hold much more than twelve.

"Going to have to, lad, unless you want to walk to me ship."

"Walk to the boat, how in shell can we do that; we can't walk on water, we're not Jesus Chri…"

"Raphael," Sparrow interrupted, pointing at the golden treasure in the other boat, "ye forget, you're cursed. You'd be walkin' underwater, 'cause ye don't needs to breathe air." He looked over at Donnie, "My dear Donatello," waving a hand towards the boat, "ye get first dibs for fig'ring out the map," and waved a hand towards the bot, entreating the turtle to get in.

Don looked over at Leo for guidance, a look of discomfort in his expression. He looked back at the Captain and asked, "What about my brothers?"

"Them, too, but you first, laddy. Ye…deserve it!"

"It's okay, Donnie, go ahead," Leo assured him, smiling.

Don nodded and stepped into the boat, moving as far to the front as he could in order to allow his brothers to get in.

As Mike started for the boat, however, Jack held up a hand, blocking him, "Nay, laddy, ladies - and their gents - next." Sparrow smiled wide.

Elizabeth and Jack quickly followed Donatello's lead but before the other remaining turtles could react, the rest of the crew, save for Jack and Mr. Gibbs, crowded together and jumped in, quickly taking their seats, and the last bit of available space.

"Hey, I thought you said we'd all fit, somehow," Raph growled in protest, stepping angrily towards the boat.

Jack shrugged, "Guess I was wrong," and immediately brought up his gun and pointed it at Michelangelo's head, "Although you're all cursed and would live, you'd have to fish your brother's head out of the water if I shoot it off - and I can!" He gave a half grin as his crew moved aside. Jack stepped into the boat, warily eyeing the turtle in red and still pointing the gun at Mikey's face.

Mike gave a sideways glance to Raphael, "Um, bro, I kind of like my head where it is, curse or no curse."

Donnie's voice protested from the bow of the boat, "Hey, you can't kidnap me!"

Jack turned towards the turtle in purple, "Kidnapping has such a nasty ring t'it and I can do what I likes; tis me treasure and me ship...and me gun! Just call yerself - insurance. Like I said, you seem able to understand things - such as funny little maps." He cocked an eyebrow and with a loud voice for the others on shore to hear, "An' I wouldn't get any ideas about jumpin' overboard an' joinin' yer mates, not unless you want us to sail off without ya and yer brothers."

As he watched helplessly, "Leo, we can't let him take Donnie like that?" Raph clenched and unclenched his fists, desperate to do something. He suddenly felt Leonardo's hand on his shoulder.

"Let them go, Raph. If what he says is true, we can walk - or swim if necessary."

"Leo!"

Another growl rose up from the island behind them.

"We can't waste any more time," Leo met his brother's determined glare, and lowered his voice, "we'll make it; we always do!"

While Leonardo calmed Raphael down, standing alongside the turtles Mr. Gibbs realized in that moment an unsettling thought.

"Ah, Captain? What about 'bout me?"

As the boat drifted further towards the Black Pearl, "You, Mr. Gibbs," Jack smiled, exposing gold, encrusted teeth, "will lead the way."

"Lead…the way? How?" The man began to perspire nervously, now, probably because he knew what Sparrow implied.

"As I said earlier, Mr. Gibbs," the pirate grinned wider, balancing himself as his crew began to row away from the rocks, "the curse makes it poss'ble to walk under water and where th'seabed between here and," he pointed towards the Black Pearl, "an' there is flat, it should prove an easy walk."

"But, Captain, it'll take time…"

"Then walk fast. I trust ya t'do that." And then Sparrow sat down. With his rowers working feverishly and with the treasure chest firmly entrenched in the second boat, Jack and his men were well away from the rocky shore, making haste for the larger ship.

Don sat deep in his seat, a dangerous scowl on his face. He glared at the retreating pile of rocks where his brothers stood, longing to be with them, regardless of what fate the island promised. Finally, Don sighed, defeated. He had to cooperate, that is if Jack would stay true to his word and wait for his brothers to catch up. How they would do that, he didn't know, yet, deep in the pit of his stomach, Don knew there was something about Captain Sparrow that worried him, something that said the man wasn't what he seemed to be.

In that moment, Don began to plan.

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_**TBC**_


	19. A Treasureful of Hostage!

_**Disclaimer **_

_Yo ho, yo ho, there is no profit for me. _

_No matter how much I might like to write, _

_I only own the OC's. _

_Though everyone might like the story and all, _

_ It's Eastman n' Laird's 'NT's! _

_Yo ho, Yo ho, there is no profit for me. _

_(Goes for any Disney-related characters too!) _

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**Chapter 19 - A Treasure-full of Hostage **

"Is he **_serious_**?" Mike screeched, trembling as much as the ground was.

"'Fraid so, lad," Gibbs sighed in reply and staring at his retreating captain and shipmates.

"He'd just leave us like this?" Mike looked nervously around at the island behind him, his eyes wide with horror. In the distance along the island's shore, he saw clouds of dust billow up from the various cliffs skirting the coastline. At first, it didn't register with him, but when some of the precipices crumbled into the frothing sea, Michelangelo's breath caught. He instantly recognized one of the cliffs as one he and his brothers had stood on only the day before. Then, the trees above and dotting the mountainsides seemed to sway, moving on their own as if a great wind had passed through them, but Mike knew it wasn't the case.

It only proved to him that the island was indeed falling apart!

As Mike made a high-pitched whine, Jack's first mate remarked, "He didn't leave us, lad, as much as he's gettin' a head start."

"Although your captain's methods leave much to be desired, Mr. Gibbs, I guess we'd better catch up!" Leo announced with grim determination. Scowling into the bay next to the rocky outcropping, the turtle in blue tried to determine the water's depth before diving in.

As Leonardo stepped towards the edge of the rocky outcropping, preparing to jump, he heard Mike groan, "You know, dudes, this curse thing sucks."

"Mike, quit yer bellyaching."

"Easy for you to say, RAPH! You don't' have a fear of…of sea dwelling **monsters**!"

"Well, if you don't get your carcass going," Raph fisted his hand, "yer gonna fear THIS land dwelling nightmare!"

"Raph, leave Mike alone; he has a right to be afraid."

"Yeah, Leo, go ahead 'n baby him, not that it's gonna help th'situation."

While Michelangelo hyperventilated, Leo turned and addressed the man, "Why would Captain Sparrow leave us behind like this, forcing us to swim to his ship. Has he no honor?"

Gibbs casually remarked, "Jack's a pirate through and through, mate," before shooting an irritated glance towards his retreating captain, "Have to admire his cunning, though."

Toeing the water experimentally, before he could dive into the bay, Gibbs felt someone grab him by the shoulder. Quicker than he thought possible, the man found himself turned around, and facing an irate, red-masked turtle.

"What in _**shell**_ do ya mean, PIRATE?" Raphael spat.

Swallowing apprehensively, Gibbs wiped spittle from his face, and then squared his shoulders resolutely, "Jack Sparrow's a pirate, mate; we're all pirates, but th'curse is real and if ya wants t'get off this here island, yer gonna wants t'be on that ship out there." He pointed to the Black Pearl, "So you better get walkin'."

Gibbs huffed and pulled away from Raphael's grasp, giving him one last determined look.

"Walk? What do you mean 'walk'?"

Gibbs smiled wryly, "We walks, like takin' a stroll."

"We…don't swim?"

The man shrugged, "Ya could do that, Mike, but I prefers walking." Then, Gibbs turned and dove into the sea. The three turtles could only stand there, watching him in stunned, gaping surprise.

Suddenly, a loud explosion boomed from the island behind them and then another one. It effectively reminded the three turtles of their perilous situation and it didn't take a discussion to get them moving, either. Well…at least one of them took action.

"Well, no use just standing here…" Leo declared before diving into the bay to join Mr. Gibbs.

Raph was about to join his older brother when he noticed that Mike just stood there on the rocks, uncertain. The turtle in orange shifted from foot to foot, nervously wringing his hands. He looked back at the island, and then at the sea…the island…the sea…the island…the sea.

"Man, oh man, I just don't know," he whined, gasping for air like a drowning fish, "Wh…what if there's…Killer _Whales_ out there, or, or…poisonous sea _snakes_, or…"

Suddenly, before he could continue his train of thought, someone from behind Mike grabbed his upper and lower shell. In a move too quick for him to react, the poor turtle found himself suddenly airborne and flying over the water where Leo had just plunged.

"Nooooooo!" he screamed as he sailed over the water, his eyes big as saucers.

Raphael laughed, quite amused, as he watched his brother fly through the air, arms and legs flailing about in desperation. Then, unceremoniously, he belly flopped into the sea.

The moment Mike disappeared under the water's surface Raph took an instinctive breath and jumped in after him.

Before long, the three turtles were trailing behind Mr. Gibbs…or, more to the point two were walking with one pulled along, the one trying desperately to swim back up to the surface. In either event, the four traveled along the seabed as one would on land, heading towards the Black Pearl moored a hundred yards out.

Now and then, Gibbs would turn around and look back at his three strange companions. His eyes were somewhat wide and Leo could tell that the man didn't seem at all comfortable with his situation. It was obvious to the terrapin leader that the curse was as new to Jack's first mate as it was to him and his brothers. Maybe without the curse, the man wouldn't have been able to swim at all and to find that he didn't even need to breathe underwater was stranger than four walking, talking turtles?

Just the same, Leo knew that water was an element his species was natural to, mutant or otherwise. Except for Mike, he and Raph seemed to be adjusting better than the pirate was.

As Leo looked over at his youngest brother, he smiled. Mike had finally resigned himself to his fate, walking on his own, now, without Raph having to pull him along. Still, if Mike's eyes could be any bigger, they probably would have popped from his head. Then, Michelangelo gasped and he seemed to be breathing heavily, desperately.

He was having an anxiety attack. As his head snapped up, then looked left and then right, and all around him - as if half expecting some monster to snatch him for dinner, it only grew worse.

Sighing, Leo swam over to his little brother and wrapped a comforting arm along his shoulders. He shook him a bit, to get Mike to look at him. He then mouthed, _"It's going to be okay, Mikey."_

Mike grabbed Leo's arm in desperation, hugging it, and quickly mouthed his concerns, his eyes growing bigger.

Leo chuckled and lipped,_ "I don't think Killer Whales live in these waters." _

_"You sure?"_ Mike pleaded, worry quite evident on his face.

_"Positive. They're cold water whales." _

Given the warm nature of their current environment, Michelangelo's fears slowly abated. He smiled a little. Soon, his worry dissipated completely. Now he looked around in wonderment at the overall beauty of the undersea garden called the Caribbean. That is, what Mike could see of it, since evening was fast approaching. The various rock formations seemed darker, now, as shadows deepened, with the various fish mere reflections of themselves, with what light permeated the shallow depths.

Hurrying along the seabed as fast as the force of water would allow, the quartet soon found their path bathed in soft twilight, but it wasn't long before the last remnant of sun slipped beneath the far horizon. Quickly replaced with the blue-black shroud of a starless night, in less time than a thought, the foursome found their watery world steeped in ebony. Only the lanterns from the longboats ahead of them on the surface guided their way. Yet, the rate at which the vessels progressed above created a desperate need for the four below to keep up.

Fortunately, where they walked, the bay was quite shallow and even with the waves along the surface, the water was clear, so it was easy for Leo and the others to see the sky above. Just enough light from the moon filtered through the clouds made it possible to notice the weather had changed, but it wasn't enough to change them, at least, not in the way Jack had described.

Of the four, Mike was the most relieved.

At one point, after watching the way the clouds had gathered, Leo tapped Raphael's arm and pointed upwards towards the surface. He mouthed, "_Storm coming." _

Raph nodded and then jabbed a finger towards their destination, brow furrowed determinedly.

Indeed, they needed to hurry.

Then, an explosion of white flashed bright across the heavens above, as lightening streaked the darkened sky. Its sudden appearance briefly illuminated the underwater world, exposing rock and fish with its radiance. Then, just as quick, it was gone and the four walkers found themselves steeped in shadow once again. Still, it was enough to confirm their heading. For a brief moment they saw the two boats up ahead, about ten yards out, their underside dark against the backdrop of sudden yellow white light. A moment later, another streak of lightening brightened their world. This time, they spied a much larger shadow far ahead of the longboats, the Black Pearl. Now, Leo's confidence grew that they would make the main ship before the storm commenced.

Of course, with each longboat outfitted with lanterns at their stern and bow, they helped to guide Leo, his brothers, and Mr. Gibbs.

Regardless, though, Mike thought it weird walking underwater, the way one would as if strolling along the beach. The only thing that made it frustrating for him was that they had to do so in silence. Despite the fact they didn't have to breathe, he found talking impossible.

As Mike ambled along, following his siblings and Mr. Gibbs, the forced silence caused him to be more reflective with where he was. At one point, his mind went back to wondering about the sea's inhabitants. A few fish swam in front of him, close enough for Mike to see - given how dark it was. Some of them were quite large - such as tuna. But there wasn't anything threatening and Leo did assure him that Killer Whales wouldn't be a problem here, so Mike relaxed a little more.

Suddenly, Mike thought about another predator.

Sharks.

The more he thought about them, Mike was certain that sharks lived in these waters and that sea turtles were something sharks would eat and if there was one thing he didn't want to be, it was dinner.

Mike's fear returned and with a vengeance, too.

Instead of grabbing Leonardo this time, he swam over and grabbed onto Raphael. However, he found himself brushed off as his brother pushed him away. Raph shook his head and tried to say something, telling him to 'knock it off', but only bubbles expelled from his mouth, not audible words. Undaunted, Mike leapt back and grabbed onto him again, holding tight this time.

_"What's with you?"_ Raph mouthed, trying to push is brother off.

_"Sharks!" _

_"Where?"_ Raph suddenly snapped his head around, pulling a sai, eyes wide, staring into the dark worriedly. All he saw, though, was either the sky above or the inky blackness of the nighttime sea. Certainly, he didn't see any sharks.

_"No SHARKS!"_ he grouched, re-sheathing his weapon, and determinedly pushed Mike off him.

Mike turned to Leo, now, swimming over and grabbing his arm, pointing into the shadows, as he mouthed the dreaded word.

Leo smiled and took a sword from along his scabbard. He jabbed one end at the water and then pointed to Raph, jabbing again. Mike smiled, suddenly relieved. Of course, between the three of them, two would have the right weapons for such an encounter. He took one last look around and then Mike positioned himself in-between Raph and Leo. It didn't take long before he finally relaxed.

After a while, Mike bored of just walking along, so, he decided to have some fun. At first, he did exaggerated, slow motion runs, yet still kept in pace with his brothers. He pretended to run hard, his face contorted with determination, legs bicycling as fast as he could in the water, which wasn't fast at all, but more like slow motion. Leo and Gibbs laughed when they saw him, too, which only encouraged Mike, of course. Then, tiring of that, Michelangelo did forward flips and cartwheels, trying to be entertaining if not entertained.

For Mike, it was hard to be serious all the time, even with all that they had gone through, even though the fear of sharks - and Killer Whales - still edged his thoughts.

And Raph tried to be patient, he really did, but he soon tired of his goofy brother. This was serious after all; they had to catch up with the boats before Jack Sparrow changed his mind. They couldn't be distracted.

However, when Raphael attempted to knock some sense into Mike, he found the water slowed his attempt. Mike just grinned and easily ducked out of harms way. He then stuck his tongue out, teasing Raph, _"Nya, nya, ya can't catch me." _

And, of course, Raph took the challenge, but running through water was just as impossible as trying to slug someone and more comical, too. In the end, Raphael gave up the chase. Choosing to ignore his impish brother had the desired results, as well, for Mike soon bored with his underwater antics. Now, rejoining his brothers and Mr. Gibbs again, Michelangelo walked along the seabed, mindful about wandering off. If there was any other fear nipping at Mike's confidence, it was getting lost at sea. The last thing he wanted was to wander the depths alone as an undead entity, scouring the bottom of the ocean like halibut, fending off monsters of the sea, and scaring sailors to writing legends about him as he surfed the world's waves.

Of course, part of that thought did sound rather intriguing...

Still, if not for the boats' lanterns, Michelangelo was certain that he and his brothers and Mr. Gibbs would indeed lose their way. Maybe they would even fall into one of those bottomless trenches that he heard Don talk about one time, before they found themselves here. He shuddered at the thought and really wished he had a flashlight, anything so that he could see where he was going.

Yet, with every step and with every gulp of light from the longboats, Mike kept thinking about the curse. He couldn't help but occasionally check his hands. When all he saw was his fleshy green skin and the pale yellow of his hard and quite solid plastron, Michelangelo smiled. So far, he was still himself.

Halfway to their destination, the sea-bottom suddenly bucked and rumbled, a shockwave of power sending up clouds of sand rudely dislodged from its resting place. Small and large colorful fish, hidden among the shadows, now darted in front of the foursome. Some returned quickly to their dark sanctuary, startled by their encounter of the strange, bi-pedaled foursome, but the most, especially the bigger ones, headed out to sea and away from the island.

That had everyone's attention.

No words were necessary to convey what everyone was thinking, now. Every member of the underwater team was wide-eyed with clearly defined expressions of worry. Finally, Gibbs jerked a thumb towards the surface and, snapping his head in that direction, shot straight up, swimming hard as if his life depended on it.

It didn't take an invitation to get the turtles to do likewise. With their affinity to water, they easily caught up with Mr. Gibbs, passing him in route, but rather than leave the man behind, Leo grabbed Gibb's arm, pulling the man along until they finally breached the surface.

The moment his head cleared water, Mike gasped like a man out of breath, even though he never once had to suck air since leaving the island. That was the weird part, but surpassing his surprise, he discovered to his delight that the Black Pearl was only twenty-five yards away. The two smaller boats had already arrived, as well.

While the four bobbed like corks in the blackened sea and with the island groaning louder behind them, the swimmers watched as the Pearl's crew lashed the longboats to the side of the ship. However, one thing caught Mike's attention.

"How come the sails aren't down?"

"Are ye daft, mate?" Gibbs looked back at Mike, shocked, "Its sails are furled to minimize wind resistance, otherwise, with it anchored fast to the seabed, the wind'd rip the ship apart."

"Oh."

Still, Mike could see the Pearl worry the anchor line, pulling stubbornly at its mooring. In the gentle undulating waters of the Caribbean, the ship pitched and rolled, the masts tipping slowly from side to side, while the prow nosed the air, almost anxious to be on its way. Then, a sudden, loud boom had everyone looking back at the island with startled fear. When the distant peak of the volcano brightened ominously, a scurry of activity erupted on the bigger ship.

It seemed that Isla de Muerta was growing impatient!

The onboard sailors quickly dropped fish netting off the side of the Pearl, to allow those in the longboat to climb up and into the bigger ship, while others rushed about deck and climbed masts, readying to set sail. However, those in the longboat remained seated, each member fixated on the one behind them, the one carrying the treasure. It seemed that someone was straddling its sides and brandishing a six-foot wooden staff.

Despite the darkness, there was just enough light from both the smaller boats and the Pearl to create a silhouetted shape, and it was easy to see to whom the shape belonged.

"What in shell is Donnie, doing?" Raph yelled.

"I don't know, Raph," Leo shook his head, treading water alongside his brother, "but something must have happened."

"He better be careful, lads," Gibbs warned, "otherwise with as active as th'sea's goin' t'get, he'll sink that chest for sure!" Gibbs glared back at the two turtles, "an' curse or no curse', when that island blows, we'll be dead in th'water."

He then began swimming towards the Pearl, his strokes long and determined. While Gibbs worked feverishly to bridge the gap between him and his crewmates, the three turtles fell into place behind him, each one anxious to find out what Donnie was doing.

While in route to the Black Pearl, Jack had assured Donatello that they would wait for his brothers and Mr. Gibbs before going to sail.

"I'm still surprised that you would betray your first mate like that, Captain Sparrow," Don challenged. He glared at the man, wondering what other trickery the man had in mind.

"Twas nec'ssary. After all, lad, your mates might get lost in these seas and what better guide t'have than one such as Mr. Gibbs." He rolled his eyes, "'Tis hard choices we cap'n's have t'make, sor' like raisin' child'rn, though I don't haves any…at least, don't think I do, anyways." He looked thoughtfully towards the horizon, finger to chin, distracted slightly. Then, remembering his situation, he suddenly smiled, his eyes sweeping over to Donatello again, "B'sides, I knows Mr. Gibbs wouldn't have savvied the idea, so I made the decision for 'em."

"We could have made room, Captain, the way Miss Swan did," Don waved a hand to imply the crew. He noticed Elizabeth settle deeper into Will's embrace, staring worriedly at the turtle. Some of the men shrank back, too, probably imagining a turtle in their lap.

"Nay," the pirate waved the idea off as ludicrous, "and still haves maneuverability? They'd have sunk the longboats for sure." He sniffed then, "'Sides, tisn't my fault they couldn't carry everyone. How was I t'know there'd be turtles the size of men in that cave."

"You will wait for them, though, once we reach the ship?" Don asked, with one brow cocked suspiciously.

Jack smiled wide, "Of course, lad, I wouldn't 'ave it any otheh way!"

And Jack would have waited, too, so long as the island behaved itself. Yet, the moment Isla de Muerta belched smoke from its volcano, he mentally aborted his promise.

Unfortunately, what the pirate didn't count on was the turtle's ability to read facial expressions and Jack's face changed dramatically when his plans changed, and more so than the current situation would dictate.

Donatello saw the sudden spark in the pirate's eye when the island seemed to intensify its death throes. It convinced him even more that Jack wasn't a man of his word. Given the fact that Sparrow had outwitted his brothers from getting into the boat in the first place, if what Don suspected about the Captain proved true, he would find himself kidnapped and beyond his brothers' help. The thought of leaving Leo, Raph and Mike behind in the tumultuous sea - never mind Mr. Gibbs - sent a stab of desperation through the ninja. More so knowing their curse would torment them forever, but even worse with the island's demise. In fact, that thought was almost too much to bear.

So, while Don sat at the bow, while the others rowed towards the Pearl, he thought of a plan. Whatever he did would have to keep the ship tethered to the island, something that would endanger Sparrow's desire to return the gold. The gold was Sparrow's Achilles heel, his weakness. Don knew he had to exploit it.

Consequently, the very moment the crew onboard the Pearl began lashing the longboats to the ship's side, in a move born of countless hours of practice and battle strategies Don leapt up out of his seat. Before anyone could react, he leapt up and executed a forward flip, flying over the crews' heads, using his staff partway to further vault him towards the vessel carrying the treasure. In the blink of an eye, Don was straddling the boat in question, one foot planted along the top of each side, perfectly balanced, while he brandished his staff.

Of course, the added weight further pushed the longboat deeper into the water, but Don's even distribution of weight allowed an inch leeway. Yet, Don knew with the ocean's growing unrest, that it wouldn't take much before the sea swamped the boat entirely.

"Now, Captain Sparrow," Don declared, "you will keep your word and wait until my brothers and your first mate catch up," With his bo at the ready, his expression stern and resolute, "Otherwise, you will have to fish for the gold."

"D'ye not sees the island, turtle!" Jack exclaimed, pointing towards Isla de Muerta, and nearly screeching, "D'ya haves a death wish, lad?"

"I wish to live, Captain, but I would rather die," Don declared, "than leave my brothers - or even Mr. Gibbs, behind."

Jack swallowed anxiously, his eyes on the gold. He nervously watched as a small wave of water splashed over the sides and into the boat. One miscalculation from the turtle, one subtle shift in his stance could send the whole lot to the ocean floor and then…then Jack would wander the world, cursed until the end of days.

Another sudden, loud crack of impending doom resonated across the bay as the volcano coughed and then spewed forth its searing orange lava. It wouldn't be long, now, before no amount of balance would satisfy. Once the Isle de Muerta blew, all would be lost.

Still, Jack did as told. Glaring at the turtle, he sighed and sat down…and waited…and waited…and waited some more.

xxxxxxx

TBC


	20. All Aboard!

_**Disclaimer - **Not as poetic or lyrical this time, but it changes nothing. I'm still penniless from profits. I only profit reviews and hits and a feeling of accomplishment whenever I manage to upload a new chapter. Feels kind of good, actually, when I do, too…like now. :0) Nevertheless, it seems were finally boarding the _

_Everyone batten down the hatches, though. It's going to get choppy from here on out. _

xxxxxxxxx

**Chapter 20 - All Aboard! **

"Captain Sparrow, you have to be kidding me? We don't have time for this!" Elizabeth's complaint was loud and insistent. She looked up and gestured frantically in the direction of Isla de Muerta, the top of its volcano now rimmed with bright magma, "Just look at the island, it's…it's ready to BLOW!"

Jack glanced casually behind him at the inferno and then back at the woman again, unimpressed. Waving a delicate hand towards Donatello, who still balanced precariously on the second boat, the pirate entreated, "Well, Ms Swann, if ya can convince Mr. Turtle back there t'release me gold…be m'guest."

Elizabeth glared at the towering terrapin, scowling disapprovingly. _If looks could kill… _

Her focus back on the pirate once more, she offered Sparrow a narrowed, withering look, "Why don't you just _**shoot**_ him, then, _that_ should convince him!"

Jack laughed, "And risks havin'em fall into the boat, sinking it or…how about this…he falls overboard and his sudden weight displacement capsizes the boat in the process. The ends the same, missy, no matter how ye tries t'work it." He sighed, waving her concern away, "So, we waits as told…until his mates catch up."

"But the **_ ISLAND!_**" the girl pointed again. Several times in fact.

"Is going to blow…yes, I know…not born yesterday," Jack sing-songed and huffed. He looked away and sat back, arms folded in front of him.

Suddenly, Elizabeth saw something in the water swim up behind Donatello's boat. At first, she thought it was just the lights flickering more readily along the darkened surface. Then, she thought it might be fish panicking, disturbed from their seabed sanctuary by the continuing degradation of the island. Yet, whatever it was, brightened as it swam under the light of the stern-side lantern. The moment she saw three green faces and a pink, bearded one, she cheered.

"Look, they're HERE!" she announced happily and quickly stood from Will's lap. It was a stupid thing to do, too, especially where she was still in the boat. Because, the moment Elizabeth popped up, the port side listed and because she was now standing, it caused her to lose her balance. In an instant, Miss Swann found herself falling over the side, screaming head first into the sea.

" ELIZABETH!" Will yelled and grabbed for her, just missing a flailing hand. Then, before anyone could react, he jumped into the water after her, which was a good thing, since nobody else did.

A minute later, Turner had a drenched and quite relieved Miss Swann flung back inside the boat, sputtering and coughing up seawater. The crew did their best to pull her in, as well as Will, lest the two flip the small vessel, and bring them all to a similar fate.

Once on board the longboat again, Elizabeth pushed well-meaning hands off her. Well, most of them were well meaning, but in any event, she coughed once before demanding, "Now, CAPtain Sparrow…can we **_please_**…get going?"

Before Jack could even entertain the thought of a reply, an all too familiar and ill-received voice sang out behind him.

"Not until my **brothers** are on board, _Miss_ Swann!" Donatello stood there defiantly, straddling the treasure, arms crossed in front of him. His determined gaze told all that he would not relent on his demands.

Sighing, Jack forced a smile, "We waited as ye asked, laddy, we kept our side of the bargain - and it seems they're here. Tis safe t'say, Donatello, we won't be leavin' 'em behind. Can ye now lets me men stow the gold?"

"NOT until my brothers…are on_board_…CAPtain!" Don repeated emphatically.

"Fine, whatever ya say…" and Jack leaned forward a bit to catch sight of those treading water, "You there, in the water, get a move on, we have an explodin' island t'avoid."

The one in orange waved and smiled, but Jack rolled his eyes, unimpressed. However, he did sweep an arm towards the Pearl's side, indicating the slats of wood, or steps, nailed in place for boarding, "Quickly, now, climb yerselves up…chop, chop, don't take yer time."

To demonstrate, the captain carefully stood and grasped onto one of the steps. In no time at all, he had climbed up to the deck above and turned around to await the others.

Gibbs was first to haul his bulk out of the water. Before long, he, too, was onboard, but scowling quite unhappily at Jack.

Jack warily eyed his sodden first mate and, after a moment, Mr. Gibbs complained, "Might've found room in th'boat, Cap'n, if ya'd half a mind!"

"Operative words, MR. Gibbs - _might've _and _half a mind! _'Sides, there be no guarantees that they wouldn't sink the boat if I did finds room fer'em," Jack smiled, "Yet ye haves t'admit, Mr. Gibbs, without yer guid'nce, the poor beasties'd still b'wanderin' th'seas and we'd still be here waitin', with the island blowin' itself t'kingdom come…and _us_ with it." Sparrow grinned wider, "So, a decision I had to make and a good one t'was, too."

Gibbs glared at Sparrow, shaking off a bit more of the sea. He lowered his voice and leaned in towards his captain, mindful of the turtles climbing up behind him, "Why not just leave'em to their fate then. S'not like we needs'em, naw'like the one called Donatello."

"An' jus' how're we to convince said turtle to cooperate if we did leave his_ unnec'sry_ brethren behind?"

Gibbs wondered about that for a minute, considering Sparrow's word. Finally, he smiled, saying thoughtfully, "Soooo, you saves the treasure from sinking t'the briny deep by makin'em walk, then gains the purple one's coop'ration by actin' all 'onerable, waitin' fer his mates, even though said purple one threatened to capsize said treasure a moment ago?"

Jack shrugged, preferring Gibb's interpretation to what he actually had in mind. What Jack did have in mind, at least as things progressed with the island, was to set sail as soon as possible. True, his original intent was to ensure the treasure made it to the Pearl by making the turtles walk, with Gibbs leading them. To have them wander the seabed without a guide would have doomed them for sure and Sparrow trusted Gibbs to get them to the ship in one piece. Sparrow was confident of that.

However, as the island's degrading condition worsened, the pirate's plans had changed in an instant. The code, after all, had to be upheld. Still, he never expected Donatello to react the way he did and despite the delay, it seemed as if things were working out after all.

So, Jack decided to allow Gibbs his interpretation of events, if only to avoid a mutiny - and a knife at his throat. _Gibbs might'n be a most agreeable crewman, but he is a pirate through and through_.

In any event and true to his nature, Mr. Gibbs gave a light laugh, "Guess ye didn't 'ave much of a choice then, cap'n, an' I haves t'admit, it was quite the experience. An' these turtles took it all in stride, too, like it t'was natural fer 'em…other than th'one called Michelangelo."

Gibbs looked back and saw the orange-wearing turtle clambering onto deck, going on about sailing the high seas, drinking rum, and other such scary thoughts. The idea of a rum-soaked turtle seemed stranger than the turtle itself and Gibbs wondered if these creatures even knew what rum was.

Before he could even say as much to his captain, though, Gibbs noticed some of the on-board crewmen withdraw their pistols from inside their waistbands and take aim. Yet, before he could react or any of the men take the first shot, Jack quickly intervened.

Hand up to stop the altercation and leaping daintily between Michelangelo and his crew, "S'kay, mates, he's with us." Jack noticed the questioning looks from his men, obviously not too convinced. Finally, the pirate captain quickly explained, "There be four like him, they're cursed, used t'be normal turtles, scary witch didn't like'em, sent them t'Muerta, and th'one in purple's savvy 'bout th'coins." The puzzled looks on his men had Jack adding, "Knows th'way t'the Aztecs, 'nother words."

A collective and elongated "Ohhhhh" sang from several lips, with a few smiles to boot, and then the men went about their business readying the Pearl, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Satisfied that no one would shoot the one called Michelangelo, Gibbs turned and whispered to Sparrow, "Tha'one in orange might not be as brave as th'others, Cap'n, so ye best keep tha'in mind if ever we find ourselves set upon." Sparrow nodded as he peered around his first mate. As an afterthought, however, Gibbs gave Jack a pointed look and decried through clenched teeth, "But I haves no desire to _repeat_ that walk, Cap'n, if'n ye knows what I mean, so try t'make room next time…otherwise, faithful t'yer quest or not, ya might'n be doin' the walkin'." Mr. Gibbs then turned and stomped off. He hollered back as he headed downstairs to the crews quarters, "I'll be right back, Cap'n, after I gets me int'drier clothes."

Sparrow watched his first mate as the man disappeared into the lower level. Curling one side of his mustache-covered lip, he pulled thoughtfully at one trinket-decorated tail, and muttered, _Might have buggered Gibbs a bit more than I should've, methinks. _

Raphael was next to board, but the moment he saw Sparrow, he growled, whipped out both sai, and charged the man.

Some of the crew saw the impending altercation and retrieved their pistols, taking aim on the turtle. Yet, before a single shot fired off, Leonardo's voice stilled the raging, red-wearing mutant.

"Raphael, stand down. NOW!"

Raph came to an abrupt halt and turned on his brother, who stood on deck, dripping water. Pointing a sai in Jack's direction, Raphael ranted, "He left us, LEO! He didn't have any intention of stickin' around. You heard what Don said to him a moment ago."

Leo nodded and sighed, glancing over at the pirate captain, "I know, but I don't blame them. That island isn't too...healthy right now."

Raph gestured wildly, "But...they were goin' t'LEAVE us!"

"Given their circumstances, I can't rightly blame them."

"WHAT?"

"Raph, listen to the island..." Leo pointed into the dark, where rumbled an angry spit of land. As his bandana tails whipped in the breeze, "their only transportation is a boat with sails and they have to rely on wind in order to get away from here." He saw the confused look on his brother's face, so he remarked, "In other words, it's going to be a slow escape."

Raph growled something unintelligible, gripping his sai so hard his knuckles whitened. Finally, he relaxed, but not before shooting a warning glare at Captain Jack Sparrow, "Aw right, fine, whatever, but he betrays us just one more time, Leo…"

"He won't…will you, Captain?" Leo smiled at the pirate, one eyeridge raised.

In that moment, Jack realized the true nobility of these creatures - and that worried him even more.

Yet, what Leonardo had said was true and Jack was certain they needed a miracle to get far enough away so as not to capsize the Pearl when the island did blow up. Still, he didn't need a battle right now, so he acquiesced, "You have my word, Leonardo…and, thank you for your support. I am...grateful...that ye did not judge me too harshly." Jack forced himself to ignore the roll of eyes from his crewmen, and relieved when they quickly resumed their work again. _Hope they didn't see that. Most of me men don't 'ave a clue how these beasties fight! _

Leo smiled, albeit thinly, "I understand, Captain Sparrow...but...you should have had more faith, too. After all, if you didn't think we could make it, then why leave your first mate behind?"

Jack pursed his lips and mused silently, _"The lad has a point there,"_ and was rather happy Mr. Gibbs was already down below and out of earshot of the turtle's words. It wouldn't have gone over well had he heard them. _Battle indeed! _

As Leonardo came alongside his brothers and as Raphael re-sheathed his weapon, Jack called down to the remaining mutant, "Are ye satisfied, Donatello? Yer brothers are a'board now, so t'would be a good time t'…"

Suddenly, another large explosion interrupted Sparrow. The resonating boom struck fear in both crew and turtle alike and everyone looked up, staring wide-eyed across the darkened bay towards Isla de Muerta. It was easily identifiable, now, with bright streams of magma overflowing the volcano's mouth, and down its near side. The orange destructive cascade caught fire anything in its path, too, and before long, it seemed as if the entire upper mountain was ablaze.

Jack's eyes grew large with worry. Urgently, he called out to Donatello, his voice strained with anxiety, "An' the quicker we get tha'gold stowed, mate, the sooner we can be on our WAY!" He yelled to his crew, "AS SOON AS EV'RYONE'S A'BOARD, WE BRING UP THE GOLD!" He turned back to his on-board crew, "EV'RYONE ELSE, GET THIS SHIP T'SEA!"

"AYE, CAP'N!" several voices chorused back.

Eager to join his brothers, Don moved forward, feet moving carefully along the sides of the boat. When he was close enough to the stern of the first boat, Don executed a perfect, forward flip, landing effortlessly. He looked behind him, a little concerned. When saw that the treasure remained steadfast, with not a coin out of place, and the boat stable, Donatello smiled. _"Ninja training works just as well on water as on land, it seems!" _

After Elizabeth and Turner disembarked, followed by the rest of the crew, Donatello was next, working his way up the ships boarding ladder.

While Turner led Elizabeth to the captain's quarters in order for her to change out of her wet clothes, Don watched as some of the crew gather up a large, heavy-duty cargo net. The netting itself was attached to a triple block and tackle boom, which he assessed would provide enough leverage in order to lift the heavy load.

As a few of the men made their way past Don to the ladder to the boat below, Don looked down at the treasure chest and had a sudden thought.

"Captain."

"Not now, laddy," Jack waved the turtle off as Don approached him.

"This is rather important, Captain."

Jack sighed heavily and glanced irritably at the terrapin, "I'll give ye ten seconds, beginning at the count of five."

"I suggest we wrap the chest in some material before lifting it out of the boat; maybe using a spare sail cloth - that is, if you have one."

Jack gave Don a longer glance, "An' why would I want t'waste m'time doin' that?"

"Well," Don replied, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully, "in case some of the coins dislodge from the chest when you move it. Wrapping it up will ensure that you don't lose any of the gold."

Sparrow looked fully at the turtle now, a slow yet steady realization blooming on his face. He smiled, "Ye sure are a smart one, Donatello, I'll give ye that!" Then, another loud boom from the island had Jack ordering a crewman to fetch a spare sail from one of the storage chests on deck.

With practiced ease, the men had the treasure in the net in quick order, and the net encased and tied up within the extra sail, thereby entrapping any misguided coins.

As it turned out, Don's suggestion had indeed been a good one. With every rumble from Isle de Muerta, the ocean had become choppier and more unstable, causing the Pearl to roll and pitch against its mooring.

"As sure as I'm Jack Sparrow, mate," he glanced at the turtle, "…if not fer your idea, Donatello, b'now I'd be sending a few of the crew into the sea t'fetch wayward coins."

Don smiled, "Glad to be of help, Captain."

As the cargo boom groaned under the weight of the stone chest, one crewmember standing on an overhead yardarm thirty feet up announced loudly, "**Captain**, the fish are panicking!"

Sparrow watched from the side of the ship as a pod of porpoise streaked under the meager light of the Pearl's lanterns. Racing through the waters, phosphoresce glittered along the mammals' backs as they hurried towards the open sea. They darted in among each other, desperation edging their movements. Counting near to twenty and all in a matter of seconds, it was apparent to Jack that something had vexed the creatures and he wasn't sticking around to find out what it was, either.

"HURRY UP, MATES… WE NEED T'SET SAIL, **NOW**!" and then as an afterthought, "AND BATTEN DOWN TH'ATCHES!"

Jack pushed away from the bulwark, with Don doing likewise, both going over to inspect the treasure. Just as Don had assumed, when they took the sailcloth from around the chest, they found some of the coins had indeed fallen from the container.

Jack smiled, "Never would'a thought to swaddle th'chest." The pirate slapped the turtle good-naturedly on his shoulder, "Ye'd be an asset to me crew, if ye cares to join!"

Don shook his head and smiled, "Thanks, but I have enough to do keeping my brothers among the living."

Jack chuckled at the irony of the turtle's words and then went about overseeing the stowing of the chest of gold.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew had already unfurled the sails. With the anchor raised and in place, one of Jack's men steered the Pearl out to deep water. The wind had picked up as well and thankfully seemed to blow in the direction they needed to go. It filled the sails to brimming, forcing the Black Pearl through the water with all the speed and grace of the very porpoise that Jack had seen earlier. True to her legend, his ship quickly distanced herself from the tumultuous island of Isle de Muerta, which continued to rumble louder and louder behind them, with frequent explosions indicating its impending demise.

From the back of the ship, Don and his brothers watched as the drama play out on the main deck below. There wasn't much for them to do, where they weren't all that familiar with trimming sails and whatever else one did on a sailing ship. Still, despite their lack of experience, all four road the Black Pearl's undulating course with confidence, their legs splayed, and feet steady against her wooden deck. As the crew worked, some climbed masts to yardarms, and fiddled with the lines and sails to coax as much speed from the wind as it would allow.

After a few minutes, "So, Donnie," Mike finally asked, "…do you know anything at all about sailing ships?"

"Well, not a lot, but I do know," Don turned and grinned at his brother, "that where we're standing, they call it a poop deck."

It only took a moment for Don's words to sink in and when it did, Mike found himself dancing on his tiptoes, looking furtively around the wooden floorboards for something icky, his eyes wide, "Y…you're kidding me, right? Ew, ew, ew…"

Chuckling, Raph added to his little brother's dismay, "Hey, Mikey, with all these…_guys_ on board, ya know they'd have t'go somewhere…and what better place than at the back of the boat!"

"Okay, I'm sorry Mike and, Raph, the Black Pearl is a ship, not a boat, and that's not why they call this a poop deck." Don rolled his eyes and smiled, "Poop is Latin for puppis, which means 'stern of a ship'. It's also a star in the Southern Hemisphere, but…" he turned his attention to his dancing brother, "…anyway, Mike, it's a nautical term for an elevated deck, like what we're standing on. Nothing more."

Apparently satisfied with Don's explanation, Mike relaxed, but then perked up, "Yeah, but…where DO they go, then?" Mike giggled, adding his thoughts to the subject, "Maybe they just…hang over the railing and…"

"Guys, enough!" Leo laughed, "When the time comes, I'll ask Mr. Gibbs."

"Or Elizabeth!" Mike added, "Bet that'd get the ol'girl blushing!"

The four had a good laugh over the thought and then turned around, watching the backwash of the ship as the Pearl sailed further away from Isla de Muerta.

After a few minutes, Leo remarked, "Pretty fast ship, if I do say so myself." He smiled wistfully, "And I have to admit that I've always wanted to know what it would feel like to sail the open sea." He looked at his brothers and admitted cheerfully, "Except for the curse, I think this adventure has taken a positive turn!"

Raph cuffed his brother lightly in the arm, "You sayin' you want t'go pirate, Leo?" He hooked at thumb back towards the main deck, where the crew continued to work, "Not a very honest bunch, if ya ask me."

"No, that's not what I meant, I meant, I mean, I said…oh, never mind. We're here and you know as well as I do that we won't get this chance again. Pirates or not, curse or not, we're doing something we'd never get to do normally."

"Yeah, bro," Raph nodded, smiling, "have t'agree with you there." He noticed Don and Mike smiling as well, apparently in agreement with their older brothers.

Despite the distance, another loud explosion from the island broke through the casual conversation. All four brothers now stared with growing worry towards Isla De Muerta. The island was well behind them and, other than the glow coming off the volcano's molten sides, mostly shrouded in night. Suddenly, a large and very bright plume of magma-enriched steam shot from the volcano mouth like a geyser, followed by another loud boom. The hot gasses lit the smoke and cloud-filled sky above with a burst of yellow orange, as debris jetted from the mouth of the caldera, and rained down around the bay surrounding Isla de Muerta.

The quartet of turtles watched as some of the flaming projectiles hurtled towards them, their comet-like tails of hot gas raking across the darkened sky with an almost blinding brightness. The sounds of hissing water came next, as the fiery bombs plummeted into the bay at intermittent frequency. Most fell far from the ship, but a few seemed too close for comfort, causing the waves around the Black Pearl to undulate angrily.

"Wow, guys!" Mike declared, "...this is like the Fourth of July, only better. I mean, it's kind of sad, knowing all the birds and lizards will probably die - and the mango trees, too, but I didn't think I'd ever see something this gnarly."

Raph and Leo smiled warily, apparently as entertained - and as clueless - as their youngest brother. However, their anxious glances to Don told him that they weren't entirely unaware of the danger the island presented.

Finally, Leo moved over to stand next to Don, whispering, "You think we'll make it, Donnie?"

"Depends on how fast this ship can sail and when that island blows." Don replied, swallowing apprehensively, his brow pinched with worry. The more he watched the island spectacle, though, the more he wished the Pearl would indeed hurry up, and the more he thought about what might happen if it didn't, the more nervous he became.

As the ocean waves swelled in size and seemed more unstable than before, Don suddenly turned and announced, "I need to see the captain, I'll be right back."

Then, Donatello rushed downstairs to the next deck in search of Jack Sparrow, muttering as he ran about tsunamis and boats and total annihilation…and for the first time thankful for curses.


	21. Let There Be Light!

_**Disclaimer - **Yada yada, I don't own them, never will. A personal problem I'm sure. Anyway, onward and forward, to sea we go. Yo ho yo ho, it's a pirate's life fer me. _

**xxxxxxx **

**Chapter 21 - Let There Be Light! **

"Are you sure?"

"Positively."

"Because, if you're not…"

"I've sailed all over th'world, mate."

"And you've encountered these things before?"

"I _knows_ the sea, lad, and, 'sides…" Jack cocked his head to one side and locked eyes with his inquisitor, " when was th'last time YOU _encountered_ one?"

After a long, pregnant pause, Don shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "Um…well…actually…this is my first time on a boat."

"Fig'ers. 'Sides, the ' Pearl's a ship, mate, na' a boat, and given your greenness - an' I'm not talkin' about yer skin colorin' - me thinks you'd best sit back an' hold on, than tells _me_ how t'sail," Jack huffed and looked towards the dark horizon again as he managed the wheel, not the least bit amused.

Determindely, Don pressed his issue. "I'm just saying that I know what's going to happen when the island _explodes_ and where I don't know if you've experienced one before or what happens after…"

"DONatello," Jack, interrupted, smiling thinly at the worried turtle, "ya worry t'much!" and he turned his gaze to the horizon again, suppressing a growl. With both hands hand on the wheel, the pirate was trying to be patient, he really was. Surely he'd get points for that and even if he did lose his resolve, no one would blame him one bit if he tossed the oversized turtle to the sea. To challenge any captain about his seaworthineness was nigh close to mutany - and Jack had had his fill of such nonsense. Yet, he knew the turtle was a greenie, a newbie, and maybe for that, Donatello's nervousness and arrogance were forgiveable. Still, Jack wasn't the least bit entertained with the terrapin's persistent doubts about his sailing abilities.

Consequently, the pirate furthered his point, as he tried to be reassuring, "An' just so's ya know, laddie, I've encountered big waves b'fore, so, I knows whats t'do with'em." He then gave a sly, sideways glance and grinned at the beast, " and giv'n the fact that ye've never sailed - EVER, it seems cheeky of ya t'tell me hows t'do it." The man jerked a thumb back towards the deck above him, "Now, ya best go up an' see tha' yer brothers are well back from th'bulwarks. Maybe get them down below to th'crews' quarters…and **you** with 'em…" and then he winked and smiled a toothy, gold-gleaming grin, "…just so's ya don't get _tossed_ overboard."

"But…it'll be more than just a BIG wave, Captain," Don gulped nervously, still insistent, "With the smallest of miscalculations…a _tsunami_ can sink even the best well-_manned_ _**ship**_."

"Even if that were t'happen, boy," the pirate replied softly, yet forcably, his expression serious, if not compassionate, "we're _cursed_, are we not?" Jack shrugged, "So…we wouldn't die, would we?"

"And that's my _issue_," Don exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch, tossing his hands up, "we're cursed, and losing the gold to the sea would keep us this way. We would never get back to normal OR back home."

"And I s'pose home is where you'd like t'be?" Jack asked thoughtfully, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, very much."

"Then if me skills are as good as I say they are..." Sparrow ducked his head a bit, eyes still on the turtle, "_And_…they ARE! Ye best trust me. Now, if ye please," Jack waved the turtle away, "…go back to yer brothers and give m'room to work."

Don sighed and paused for a moment, only to start his rambling again, "Okay, I'm sorry, didn't mean to doubt you, but…with the kind of damage tsunamis can do I was just nervous and since I barely know you and your crew and I've never been on a boat - um - _ship_ before, and…"

"If you **don't** leave the helm, **NOW**," Sparrow warned threateningly and lowered his voice for emphasis, "I'll have no other choice but t'slap ye in _irons_ and toss ya in t'th'brig. You're in m'way!" The pirate added as an afterthought, "Ye can 'ave me cabin, if ya wish. It'll keep ye close t'deck; might be wise, too, tha'tis if we **do** have t'abandon the Pearl, which I doubts we will." Smirking, Jack added, "But, ya might want t'knock first; Miss Swann's been usin' it. Got kind of wet a while back, so she's prob'ly changin'…or, just barge in and have a lookee." He smiled again, only wider.

Gulping and blushing at the same time, Don nodded quickly, "Um, I prefer knocking, but…ah, thank you," and then he quickly left Sparrow to his task.

_Cheeky reptile!_ Jack muttered to himself, watching as the turtle climbed the stairs to the deck above.

All during the pirate and turtle's discourse, Mr. Gibbs had stood silently next to his captain, while Jack piloted the Pearl. The first mate had listened silently to the exchange between the mutant and Sparrow and with much curiosity, but had kept his thoughts to himself. For the moment, the first mate was content to let Jack steer the ship uninterrupted.

When a few minutes passed, Gibbs finally remarked, mindful to keep his voice low, "Kind of odd tha'one, t'even concern hisself with how t'steer through such waters."

Sparrow nodded irritably, one lip curled in annoyance. For the moment, he ignored his first mate.

Another long stretch of silence passed between them, as the crew called out work orders below on the main deck. The wind had picked up, too, as did the ocean swells, creating liberal sprays of water over the railing. Far behind them, Isla de Muerta continued to belch explosions and Gibbs couldn't help but gulp nervously after each one.

Finally, the man glanced at Jack, "So…Cap'n… _has_ ye ever steered through big waves…like th'kind tha'turtle described?"

When another long pregnant pause passed between them, Gibbs questioned Jack again, this time more urgently, "**Captain**?"

Keeping his eyes forward, Jack reluctantly replied, "I've…always had a bit of luck, Mr. Gibbs…with first attempts." He turned and grinned broadly at the man, "So…ye haves no worries."

"Thought so," and without another word, the first mate left the captain's side and hurried downstairs to the main deck below. With one finger raised, as if flagging his announcement, "I'll go and prepare th'men; they should know what t'spect," and he quickly went about informing the rest of the crew.

Sighing, Jack scowled disappointedly, "An' I so wanted it t'be a surprise."

As Donatello returned to where his brothers waited on the upper deck, he found them staring out at the night-enshrouded sea. The lack of stars from the cloud cover made things darker than usual and if not for the ship's lanterns, it would have been hard for them to see one another, no matter how close together they might have stood.

Off in the distance, another incandescent trail shot into the sky and Mike 'oohed' and 'ahhed', as flaming projectiles of moltan debris rocketed from the volcano like sprays of dandelion flowers. For a moment and despite the promise of destruction, Don allowed himself to appreciate this once in a lifetime experience. But, only for a moment. Because, with the jettison of fiery volcanic comets brightening the dark horizon like Fourth of July fireworks, a new part of Isla de Muerta ignited into a flaming inferno. Then, the island would blaze ominously against the backdrop of pitchy black.

As for Don, he knew that when the island did explode, the projectiles would turn into missiles capable of reaching their present location. Pyroclastic flows were another concern, too, but Don didn't think that would happen if the entire island blew. At least, he hoped not. He expelled a frustrated sigh, knowing that if he was back home, he could have scoured the Internet for more information. It was in that moment when Don felt completely outside his comfort zone.

Of course, there were other terrors to consider with such events as Plinian eruptions, but none rattled Don more than tsunamis.

As Don stepped on deck, he looked Leo's way, and found his brother looking at him. He gave a slight smile and a shrug, but then walked over to stand at the railing. He didn't say anything, but stared out across the darkened waters of the Caribbean.

Leo could tell that something troubled Donatello. Besides the fact that Don chose to stand away from his brothers said as much, but his quiet behavior only added to his discernments. Concerned, Leonardo pushed away from the railing and walked around Raph and Mike to stand along side of Don, and, for a moment, silently watched the sea with him. Another eruption had Mike cheering, excitedly pointing at the brightened horizon. He seemed to be enjoying himself and with Raphael's big grin, it was obvious the two had temporarily forgotten about their immdiate siutation.

Still, there was something about Don's posturing that told Leo that Michelangelo would not be amused much longer.

After a few minues had passed, Leo turned to his genius sibling and, keeping his voice low so that the other two wouldn't hear him, Leonardo asked, "So, Donnie, what did you and Sparrow talk about?"

At first, Don didn't reply, he just continued staring out across the open waters towards the glowing, angry island. Then, after another moment of silence passed between them, "Leo…I…I think we need to get below deck," Don never looked his brother's way, but remained facing the gradually receding and brightly shining Isla de Muerta.

"Why, Don," Leo whispered, brow pinched, his concern quite evident, "what's going to happen, is…the ship in trouble?"

"No, Leo, not yet, anyway, it's just…well…" Don turned suddenly and gave his brother a small smile, "…just be glad we're cursed and won't _die_."

Of course, Leo hadn't been the only one of his brothers to have noticed Dontatello's presence or his subdued posturing. Moreover, given their ninja training, Raphael easily overheard the comment. "Okay, Don, what's going on, who's gonna die?"

Unlike Don and Leo, Raph didn't keep his voice so low. Consequently, Mike's attention quickly turned to his brother in red, and his smile faded, "Um…Raph…did you just say something about…_dying_?"

With all three brothers' attention now on him, now, Don knew he had to tell them what he knew was going to happen, "Guys, you know when that island blows up…"

"Don…what… do you mean…when it blows up?"

"Raph, Isla de Muerta is going to blow up," Don sighed, pointing towards the event, "There's just too much activity going on over there for it not to. It'll be what happened to Krakatoa."

"That was just a movie, Don," Raph chuckled, easing against the bulwark again. He shook his head and glanced back towards the island, "Sometimes you over think things, ya know that?"

"No, _**Raphael**_," Don grabbed his brother's arm and swung Raph around to face him, "Krakatoa…really happened and what happened to Krakatoa will happen...IS happening...to Isla de Muerta!"

Raph shrugged from his brother's grip and he pushed away from the railing, "_Shell_, Don, what's gotten into ya? We're too far away for that stuff over there," he gesture towards the island, "t'reach us. Yer dooms day procl'mation's scarin' Mikey here…Shell, yer scaring me, too, if ya gotta know!"

"Yeah, dude!" Mike concurred, easing up alongside of Raph, and apparently no longer interested in the island's destruction.

"I'm sorry, guys…" Don replied, pensive, "but I know I'm right; Isle de Muerta is going to explode…and when it does…" he paused, with all three brothers staring at him, "the force of that explosion will create lava bombs and a tsunami."

"A...tsunami?" Raph narrowed one eyeridge.

"People used to call them tidal waves…but they can be dangerous."

"Oh, yeah, okay, tsunamis...now I remember what they are…" Raph furrowed his brow as he tried to think…and then his eyes went saucer-wide when he realized what Don meant.

"Lava…bombs?" Mike quivered nervously.

"Yes, Mikey, lava bombs, big ones," Don admitted.

"How big, Don?" Leo asked softly.

"Well, big as in…metric tons and tsunami waves as big as this ship is tall…if not taller."

"Well, we'd better find out from Captain Sparrow if he needs our help." Leo hastened and turned to head towards the stairs leading down to the helm.

"No, Leo, don't…" Don rushed and grabbed his brother's shell, turning him back around, "…Sparrow's already ticked off at me as it is; I think I…I insulted him."

"Imagine that!" Raph smirked.

Don ignored the snide remark, "Whatever's going to happen," he insisted, "we have to trust these pirates…"

"Trust pirates?" Raph shook his head, "Ya have t'be kiddin' me; isn't that an oxymoron?"

"They're far more experienced with sailing than we are, RAPH, pirate or otherwise, so we _have_ to trust them…we don't have a choice."

"Has Sparrow even encountered a tsunami before? Does he even know how to handle them? What if…"

"Mike, he said he has," Don tried to be reassuring, "so we have to have some faith that he'll know what to do."

"Ya sure, Don?" Raphael came up alongside his genius brother, his face etched with worry, "Because if this ship goes down, we ain't gettin' back home, ya know that, right?"

"Yes, I know that and I can only be as sure as what he tells me."

"Hmmph, considering how he's operated so far," Leo mused, "we should prepare ourselves for the unexpected. We better go down to the hold and protect the gold."

"Finally…" Raph chortled, "someone's making sense."

"Well, except... he's giving us his quarters," Don remarked, "I think he expects us to stay there. I don't want to irritate him further by going against his wishes."

Raphael growled, "I don't like that one bit."

"Well, it is his ship," Leo placed a calming hand on his brother's arm, "and we don't want to start a fight, not now, not with what Don said might happen when that island blows." Leo smiled and Raph finally relaxed.

"Aw'right, but if this ship sinks and us with it, I'm holding ya r'sponsible."

"I think I can live with that."

"Consid'ring our current state," Raph chuckled, "it seems ya'll be living with it fer a long time."

"Hey, Donnie, does he have food in his room, cuz I'm starvin'!"

"Leave it to you, Mike, to override danger with worrying about going hungry."

"Hey, Raphie, sailing increases my appetite!"

"An' how would you know that, Mikey?"

"Remember when we were kids and we'd take baths together, and Splinter found some toy boats when he was out scavenging, and…"

_THWAK! _

"Hey, Raph, that hurt!"

"So's yer tail if ya don't get downstairs."

Rubbing his head, Mike chuckled as he followed Leo and Don to the deck below, "Those were fun times, though, ya gotta admit."

Raph smirked, "No I don't."

A while later found Leo grinding his teeth in frustration, as he stood in front of the cabin door. With his brothers directly behind him - and one of them on the verge of his own eruption, the overhang from the upper deck helped protect them from the waves as they sprayed over the ship's sides. All four turtles had to continually re-balance themselves as the Pearl road out the ever increasing waves, each one grabbing something to hold on to, in order too stay on their feet.

Leo had explained Sparrow's offer to the woman, having to yell over the sounds of crashing waves so the woman could hear him. Yet, despite his efforts, Leo found Elizabeth stubbornly refusing to cooperate, even with Will trying to convince her otherwise.

**"There isn't any way that I'm going to have…you…you _FREAKS_…in my room!" **

"Miss Swann," Leo begged, "Please…be reasonable." His patience was beginning to thin, especially with Elizabeth's insults.

"I am BEING reasonable. You're…turtles; you should LIKE this weather!" the girl snapped.

"We're mutant turtles and it's not the weather that I'm concerned about."

"Oh, so…you're _afraid_, then?" Elizabeth gave snippy laugh, "Rough seas make you…cowardly?"

"Let me have the door, Leo, I'll show her cowardly!" Raph tried to push his way past his brother in blue, but Leo shouldered him back.

"No, Raphael. Breaking the door down won't serve anyone's purpose and I'm certain we'll lose favor with the captain if you do, too."

"If we have to stay out n'this," Raph gestured towards the sodden deck behind him," then that spoiled BRAT should, too!"

"I agree, but it's to our advantage to try and be reasonable…" Leo glared at the door again, "even if SHE isn't."

It was then that Leonardo heard another voice. _Will Turner again_, he thought. Leo hadn't seen any trace of the man when he and his brothers made their way down to the main deck. It was only a moment ago when they knocked on the door and when Turner asked to know who it was that he realized where the man had been. It also made Leonardo wonder exactly how chaste the couple truly was, too. He dismissed that thought, though, for the more important matter was in getting his brothers safely inside the captain's quarters and out of the storm.

As Leo listened, even though he couldn't catch every word, it seemed as if the man was championing Sparrow's offer. After another minute or two and with several punctuated exclamations from Elizabeth about "..._those freaks keeping their distance from me'", _slowly, the cabin door opened. Will stood there, looking apologetically, yet still baring the turtle's entry for a moment. He wore an exasperated expression on his face that well matched the one Leo wore. "You four can come in…" he sighed, glancing back once, "but Miss Swann prefers that you stay well away from her…and the bed."

"Don't worry, she's not our type!" and Raph barged past Leonardo and into the cabin, forcing Turner to take a step back to keep from being bowled over.

"Raphael," Leo chided as he, too, slipped into the room, "remember your manners."

"I would…if I had any!"

Grinning and shaking his head, Leo bowed once before the man, "My apologies. My brother's a little rough around the edges."

"LEO, don't go apologizing fer me…I don't have t'be courteous when someone treats me like trash." Raph glared once at Elizabeth, who sniffed indignantly. He then made his way over to one of the chairs situated farthest from the girl. He gave the room a quick visual once over and, when he spied a small table upon which sat a tray of fruit, he exclaimed brightly, "Righteous!"

While the rest of his brothers came into the cabin, Raph wandered over and plucked an apple from the tray. He gave it a quick polish on his opposite bicep before taking a large bite of the fruit. The moment he did, however, he spat it out, "Yuck! What's with this?" he looked aghast at Will, confused.

"Sorry; food's going to taste kind of off, where we're cursed and all."

"SERIOUS?" Mike came full into the cabin, now, his eyes wide in panic. As Turner closed the door behind him, the turtle in orange stood there, dripping small pools of water along the floor. He had all he could do to keep from whining, "But…but I'm starving'!"

"Yes, that's part of the curse, too. You'll be hungry for food…as well as other things, but food...and other things...won't be quite right. However, the bright side is…" Will shrugged, "you won't starve to death."

"Because we're already dead?"

"Correct…um…Donatello." The man turned and stepped over to Elizabeth and wrapped an arm around her waste, "Nothing that you would normally experience in the living world will satisfy…" he turned and gazed longingly into his fiancé's face, her own turned towards him, "Not even love."

"So…" Raph chuckled, "she could undress in front of you and…you wouldn't care?"

"I PROTEST THAT STATEMENT…HOW…HOW…RUDE!" Elizabeth's face reddened considerably, but not more so than her temper. She turned to her fiancé', "Will, you MUST order them out; I cannot imagine riding out this storm with that…BEAST'S rudeness!"

"Rudeness?" Raph chuckled, "Seriously, considering you're the only female on this boat and filled with pirates, no less, I'm surprised you'd have any blush left in ya!"

Elizabeth could do nothing more than scowl in reply. Sighing uhappily, she then turned and leaned into Turner's embrace, while the remaining turtles went about finding places to sit, to wait out the storm.

xxxxx

Above them and steering the Pearl, Jack's hands gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles white from the strain. Gibbs had already returned from alerting his shipmates and he now stood beside his captain, pensively looking up at the cloud-filled sky.

Jack noticed the man's distracting glances and broke the silence that had fallen between them, "Notice something odd?"

"The clouds?"

"Kind of, sort of, not quite, though…guess again."

Gibbs looked around before answering, "The men are quiet."

"No."

"No Elizabeth nipping at ya?"

"Well, that is a nice part of givin' her me quarters, yes, but…no."

"I give, Captain. You tells me."

"No fog, Mr. Gibbs. Fog and Isle de Muerta are one and the same, it's what keeps the cursed island hidden from most sailors, 'cept those with the right cor'dinates."

"And that means 'what', Captain?"

"Don't know. Maybe it means the curse is no longer a curse, so there isn't a need to hide the island? Maybe it means an unseasonably clear day, or night, as the case may be, 'cept for the clouds, of course." Jack looked up then, "Maybe it means even the fog is afraid of what's to come?"

"Maybe we should coax more speed from the Pearl?"

"Maybe… safer _is_ better than sorrier, Mr. Gibbs?"

One look from Jack had his first mate scurrying back down to the main deck again. Gibbs went about hollering at the crew to tighten the sails to get more speed from the Pearl. In reply, several men climbed the masts like monkeys in compliance with his orders, tightening the rigging and sails to add more resistance to the wind and thereby increase the ship's acceleration.

Down below, Mike peered anxiously - and forlornly - through the large, diamond paned window at the back of the cabin. He leaned against the Captain's table, apple in hand, with one bite taken from it. At his feet lay a chewed up mash that was once the bite. He sighed again and looked at the apple, then dropped it to the floor. He watched the fruit as it rolled around a bit, the green orb following the rise of the ship as the vessel road up another large wave.

_Why live forever if you can't eat?_ he muttered to himself.

"You just had to try, eh?" Raph smiled beside him.

"I'm hungry, I eat when I'm hungry," Mike shrugged.

Looking back up at the window again, he saw that it offered a fine view of their retreat. He did notice, however, that the waves were getting higher than he remembered, when standing atop the poop deck. As the ship rode up the crest, it felt as if the very hand of Neptune had lifted the vessel. Then, for an instant and before the Pearl descended down the other side of the giant wave, the ship hovered and Mike could see the island far in the distance, fury bright and foreboding. It was a cool sight, but it brought to mind his genius brother's cautionary words.

"You sure it's going to explode, Donnie," Mike asked, his voice small and worried. He never turned when a hand draped across his shoulders.

"I'm certain, Mike." Don answered, joining Mike and Raph at the window, "I hope I'm wrong, but - there's just too much going on over there for it to be a simple eruption."

"So, Einstein," Raph teased, "how we going t'get out of this one. We're trapped here on this boat…"

"Ship!" chorused five voices.

"Whatever, but the fact remains, we can't run, we can't hide…shell…we can't even swim t'safety!"

"I keep telling you, Raph, Captain Sparrow said that he's familiar with tsunamis."

"Don, you know that Jack is a pirate," Raph huffed as he glanced once at his brother, "he lied before and he could be lying' now. He'll say whateveh he wants you t'hear if it means your cooperation. Remember how he tried t'leave us behind?"

"Yeah, I know, but what can I do; he's already threatened to have me arrested and thrown into the brig if I try to interfere again."

For a long while, the cabin's six occupants joined in staring out the window at the raging sea. Some stood, some sat, but after a bit of time passed, and as the Pearl rode up yet another large wave to where they could once again see Isla de Muerta, Elizabeth suddenly remarked, "The island seems brighter. I wonder…"

Yet before the woman could continue her thought, the entire horizon seemed to light up as bright as day.

"What _th'shell_?" Raph exclaimed excitedly, with Mike grabbing on to him.

"Is...this it?" the turtle in orange asked.

Before Don could explain, in the next a sonic-sounding boom resonated through the ship, quickly followed by Mike's…and Elizabeth's…scream.

"Well, guess it finally blew up!" Don whispered in awe as he gazed out the window with everyone else.

Almost to confirm his words and rising above the tumultuous waves, far out in the horizon they saw a fireball of smoke and magma rise into the cloud-filled sky. It ascended quickly into the dark, ebony night like a fire-breathing dragon, spreading wide like the hand of death, but far too low in the sky for it to be normal. The confusing blend of lave-fed smoke seemed to grow upon itself, greedily filling the horizon with its essence, staying close to the sea.

Don wondered about it and what he wondered made him quake with fear. He sided closer to his brothers and they all looked at him. When he shook his head and sighed, they knew. This was it.

In one terrifying moment, the exploding mass proved far larger than any they had seen so far. In fact, the force of the blast was so intense, that it parted the clouds above just enough to release the moon of its prison. Through the rift and situated just to the left of the billowing mass of white-hot smoke hung the white, celestial orb. Now, the moon readily poured its brilliance through the gapping clouds and straight down towards the cursed ship below.

Once again, Mikey screamed, only this time for a different reason.

As translucent wedges of subdued light shot through the cabin and with dying island as backdrop, Mike stood at the window in stunned surprise. He stared at his boney outstretched arms, his mouth agape. In all honesty, one could say he was wide-eyed with fear.

Yet, the truth of the matter was, that in the moment when the clouds parted, the instant moonlight reigned supreme, everyone caught in its path now savvied what it meant to be under the Aztec curse.

"I think…I'm gonna be…sick."

"Not without a stomach you're not."

"S'not funny, RAPH!"

"_I_ thought it was, Mike," Raph chuckled.


	22. Is It Just Me or Is It Hot In Here?

_**Disclaimer**_ – _Yes, I know it's been a while. Blame a lot of things, but most notably, my very uncooperative muses. And, I know nothing of sailing. When I researched it, I was - overwhelmed. Might be why I had a hard time getting this chapter written. Anyway, from here on out with this and subsequent chapters, I'll do my best to write as accurate about sailing as possible. Where I just can't make heads or tails about what to do, I'll have Sparrow mutter 'thingy' or 'doe-hicky', or 'whatchamacallit'. Just kidding. I'll just write dialogue or focus on something else entirely. _

_In the meantime, enjoy. :0)_

_x x x x x x x_

**Chapter 22 – Is It Just Me or Is It Hot In Here?**

The moment the island blew up, Gibbs' eyes had never been wider, and as the fiery magma-laced plume climbed higher into the sky, he swallowed nervously. Suddenly, the clouds parted and exposed the moon, activating the curse for all to see.

At first, Gibbs panicked when he saw his arms lose their muscle mass, and then he barely stifled a scream the moment he saw his crew reduced to skeletons. Yet, when the sound of the exploding island reached the ship and shook the vessel, he realized just how dire the situation was. This had him running about, yelling orders to anyone not moving fast or efficiently enough.

Just the same, some of the men froze where they stood, first from witnessing the explosion and then from the sonic boom that followed. It didn't help when the moon broke through the clouds, either, and as everyone turned into skeletons, it had them screaming in near hysteria.

Finally, Gibbs voice rose above their fright, his voice loud and desperate, "That inferno back there…" and pointed towards the horizon behind them, "is com'n our way, so unless ye wants to bath in hellfire and brimstone, ye best get back t'work!"

That seemed to be enough to get them moving again.

Gibbs continued barking commands, though, his voice barely audible above the roar of the wind and crashing waves, "Ya needs t'tie that rope down, ya scuvey dogs, or we'll lose the main sail f'sure!" In response, several men grabbed rope and tightened the aforementioned sail, the gusty wind pushing the ship faster through the water. Gibbs gave a satisfactory nod and grin and then suddenly found himself inundated by a huge wall of water, as it shot over the bulwark, drenching him from head to toe. He grabbed a sail line and held on, nearly losing his footing, as the gale-force winds aided the sea. The flow of water raced towards the opposite side of the deck, though, and emptied the deck again as it returned to the ocean.

The boat leveled out again and Gibbs steadied himself, wiping his face dry and then peered up at the half-dozen men on the yardarm. Suddenly, a man slipped on the slick beam of wood. The sailor quickly grabbed a line to keep from plummeting to the deck and, as he scrambled back up to safety, the first mate below him chastised, "An, watch yerselves, we can't lose a one a'ye; we needs all the men we have t'get outta this!"

Gibbs stared up at the tar-black sky, its heavens once again thick with clouds and threatening rain. He sighed and turned away from the men above, yelling at those toiling deck-side, while they battened down items not nailed to the ship, "And you," he pointed to one man, "make certain that mainsheet is tight, it's gonna be ride from hell an' we need as stiff a sail as can muster." The man staggered away, slipped, recovered, and staggered some more before reaching his destination. He yanked on the line, stiffening the sail above, and then cinched the rope taught and secured it to a pin.

Suddenly, the clouds released their rain, the torrent pelting both ship and its inhabitants. The Black Pearl pitched and rolled furiously in the water, causing Mr. Gibbs to walk like a drunken man as he made his way across deck. The undulating action of the ship kept everyone off balance, slowing their efforts, yet Gibbs knew that what was heading their way would only make their current situation seem like a nice summer outing in the Caribbean. He didn't like the feel of the ship either. Something was wrong and so he headed to where Jack steered the Pearl, doing his best not to find himself washed overboard.

When he climbed to the top of the stairs, he found his captain nearly hugging the wheel. "Jack, ya need a break with that?" Gibbs asked, his hand ready to grab the helm.

Slightly wide-eyed, Jack turned to look at his first mate. He shook his head, "Nay, if I let go, the ship will go 'walty'," and as if to prove his worries, the ship found itself on the downward slide of a monstrous wave, the larboard side tipping towards the sea, only to have it get slammed by another wave crossing its bow, thereby saving the Pearl from rolling over. The sudden drop and collision, though, nearly made Sparrow – and everyone else on deck - airborne.

"It's crazy, isn't it," Sparrow laughed nervously, "here we are immortal, can't die 'cuz of th'curse, and yet…the fear of drownin jus'as strong as if we could!"

"Aye, Cap'n, so given what ya just said," Gibbs gestured with one hand, "lemme have the wheel so you can take a rest, maybe join our guests in your quarters?" Gibbs gave an imploring look to his captain, nearly begging the man with that to release his hold on the helm. With the way the sea seemed to pull at the vessel, Gibbs was certain Sparrow hadn't done much with guiding it.

"Ya might be right about that, but I'm the Cap'n an' if I shelter myself while me men are in the thick of it…" Jack Sparrow resumed steering again, more deliberately this time as if to prove his capabilities. Still, he couldn't help but look quickly behind him towards the horizon and his eyes widened further at the bright ribbon of fire that seemed to grow in size, as if chasing him.

"I won't tell, cross me heart and hope to die," Gibbs suddenly rolled his eyes, "that is…if I could…nevertheless, Cap'n, let me 'ave the helm!"

"Mr. Gibbs, I won't leave m'post. However…" he smiled, "as you like; you can 'drive' for a while," and Jack released the wheel to his first mate. As Gibbs took the wheel in hand, Jack immediately grabbed a sail line for support, just as the Pearl rode up the next giant wave. He stared towards the ship's wake again and breathed a sigh of relief as the fire diminished. "So…Mr. Gibbs," Sparrow asked, "any word in how our guests are doin?" He swung his head back around dramatically, trying not to think about what else could go wrong.

"Nay, haven't heard a word from'em. But," he smirked nervously, "I'm certain those turtles are as sick as old ladies on a barge ri'now."

Jack gave a lop-sided nodded, "Aye…an' if this hellish sea gets any worse, we'll all be joinin'em." He smiled then, "But, it seems the worst might be over, lad."

"You think?"

"Aye, that island's blown itself out, so other than this ugly storm, it'll be clear sailing from here on out!"

Gibbs grinned, "Aye, Cap'n; I'll go tell the crew."

"Maybe when things calmed down, we'll toast to our success, have a little rum. Just…don't tell the woman."

Deep inside Captain Sparrow's quarters, six individuals waited, anxiously riding out the storm. Will and Elizabeth sat side-by-side on Sparrow's bed, their backs up against the wall of the cabin, arms wrapped around the other. They said little, both watching the view the window afforded, their expressions worried.

Across the room from them and huddled in a corner, Mike sat in strained silence. He was himself, again, and not the skeleton that had him screaming in terror moments earlier. As he sat on the floor, bent over a spittoon purposefully positioned just in front of him, his hands greedily wrapped around its stand. He seemed frozen in place, his expression one of dire misery. If not for his already green complexion, Mike would have looked sicker than anyone could, certainly sicker than he had ever been.

And, with each pitch and roll of the ship, he hunched even more over the mouth of the bronze pail, his eyes squint shut, his mouth quivering. He suddenly tried to hurl but nothing came.

"For someone who hasn't eaten a thing, yer sure tryin' hard to throw up."

"Shuddup, Raph!" Mike groaned, his voice raspy from dry heaving. He looked up at his red-banded brother and shook his head, "Remind me never again to dream about sailing the open sea, 'kay?"

"Yeah, bro, that and turnin' into a skeleton," Raphael laughed, "I'll just smack ya upside the head if ya do…" and the sai-wielding terrapin exampled his words, rapping his knuckles atop Mike's head, which had Mike heaving unsuccessfully into the spittoon again.

As before, Michelangelo didn't have much to offer, since he hadn't eaten – or, more to the point, since he couldn't eat. When he finished vomiting – or trying to, the orange-wearing turtle glared up threateningly at his brother and snarled, "I don't need any encouragement, here, 'kay?"

"Hey, just tryin' t'help, bro," Raph chuckled next to him.

As his brothers bantered with each other, Don sat in the chair he had dragged over to the window to watch the island's destruction. He looked over and saw Mike with the brass bowl. He smiled, amused, "Mike, you do know that that spittoon isn't for spit, right?"

Mike gave him an 'I could care less' look before placing his face over the container's opening again, ignoring Don.

"Seriously, Mike, I wouldn't get too cozy with that thing."

Sighing, Mike huffed and gazed back at his genius brother with a look of indifference, "And…why not, Donnie?"

"Well, think about it. Captain Sparrow's teeth are as white as yours and mine."

"Okay, so…"

"So, he doesn't chew tobacco, so he wouldn't need a spittoon."

"Your point?" Mike rolled his eyes and then swallowed deeply as another need to hurl overwhelmed him. Despite his lack of success in such matters, instincts played out and he positioned his face over the container's opening again.

"Well, my point is," Don smirked, "that spittoon isn't a spittoon as it is a – portable 'potty'."

Mike, his mouth opened wide, paused mid-retch. He stared at the gaping container and sniffed. He didn't smell anything, but then Elizabeth had said that their sense of smell would be affected by the curse. It was then when Don's words finally registered.

"EWWWWW! and Mike shoved the brass bucket across the floor where it clanged against the far wall.

While Mike retched again and not because of the undulating motion from the ship and as Raph laughed at his baby brother's reaction, Don turned back around to stare out through the paned glass window. As the Black Pearl crested another large wave, he noticed the ribbon of fire along the horizon had grown. Then, it disappeared as the ship raced down the other side of the giant wall of water. The clouds had covered the sky once again, so like Mike, Donatello was no longer a bony replica of himself. It was only temporary relief, though.

Silent and somber now, he watched as the waves lashed up against the window, a testament that they were bigger than they had been since before the island had blown. Don knew that whatever was coming their way, it would make these waves paltry by comparison. He could only hope that the curse was true to what Jack told them and that regardless of what happened, he and his brothers – as well as everyone else onboard - would not die. 

Then again, despite his terrapin ancestry, Donatello's worst fear since arriving in this world had been about drowning at sea, even though his brothers' had survived the 'walk' from the island to where the Black Pearl was anchored. However, since setting sail, that fear had changed.

Now he feared finding himself at the bottom of the ocean, quite alive because of the curse, and having to deal with creatures indigenous to the deep sea. The thought of sharks or giant squid attacking him, tearing him from limb to limb, to see his body taken apart, bite by bite by bite and not die because of it, it made him shudder. Don tried to rid his mind from his unsavory thoughts. He tried to think of more pleasant things, such as finding the next portal, the one that would take them home. Even the island, pre-explosion of course, offered a bit of respite from his imaginings.

Suddenly, the Pearl rode up another gigantic wave and Don found his musings flittering away. He felt his weight increase as one would with riding an elevator. As the ship crested and just before it plummeted down into another trough, he saw the terrifying horizon again. At first, he heartened; the fire had finally gone out. Then, Don gasped aloud when he saw something far more ominous coming towards them.

Instead of the magma rich fury of the disintegrated island, now what he saw and racing at a speed far greater than the ship could sail, was the pyroclastic flow, the volcanic generated agglomerate, as wide as the horizon and just as lethal.

"Don, what…is that?" Leo asked, pointing towards the brownish mass heading their way.

"That, Leo," Don replied gravely, "is what I feared would happen if Isla de Muerta blew up."

Hearing the tone of worry in his brother's voice, Raphael stood up from where he sat on the floor. He joined Don at the window, standing next to Leo, but when he looked out, all he saw was a wall of water, since the ship by this time was sailing down its flank.

Mike gave up trying to get sick and followed Raphael's lead. Now, all four brothers stood behind the desk and the turtle quartet stared through the window at the ocean.

"What're you guys talkin' about?" Raph asked, "I don't see nothin' but water."

"Well, Raph," Don said casually and turned towards his red-masked brother, "we don't have to worry about going down with the ship anymore."

Mike grinned, "We found land?" His mood brightened considerably.

"No, we haven't found land, but…"

"Land will find us, unfortunately," Leo glumly added.

"What in shell d'ya mean, it'll find us?" Raph didn't like the expression on either of his two brothers' faces.

"Simply put, Raphael," Don said casually, "when Isla de Muerta blew up, the explosion created a wall of mud and volcanic steam and it's now heading our way." Don turned to face the window again as the ship rode up another monstrous wave. One eye ridge cocked in curiosity, he frowned at what he saw.

"That's…impossible," came a woman's voice from behind them.

Whirling around, Don shook his head, "No, it's not, Elizabeth An volcanic island that explodes can and often does create its own wave, with the disintegrated landmass mixing with steam generated from the volcano. The force of the explosion then sends it out across the ocean, skimming across the water like a rock, and…" he paused for a moment, to grab their attention, "at speeds far greater than this ship can sail."

"Okay, so…" Will remarked, "...if it's a wave, then we'll just sail on top of it as we would any other wave, right?"

"No…this wave isn't cool like the ocean, nor is it as liquefied. It's denser and it's heated, past the boiling point, thousands of degrees hot. The force of the explosion allows it to stay on top of the water's surface so when it reaches us, it will quite literally burn this ship like kindling…unless," Don sighed, "Unless the curse works with or without moonlight?"

Will ran to the window, desperate, shoving past the turtles, and stared at the sky above, "But, the clouds, they've concealed the moon again, how…"

Elizabeth joined him, addressing Donatello, "The curse is in effect regardless, it's just the moonlight that exposes our –bones. We won't die or burn up."

All this time, Mike and Raph stood there silent, with Mike's mouth gaping open, a scream caught in his throat. Aside from drowning, burning to death had been one of his greatest fears…well, that and never eating again. It was bad enough to suffer through one, but to burn and not die, to experience a kind of hellish nightmare like that…he finally uttered, his voice fearful and whiney, "Will we…feel anything? I mean, we're talking about fire, here, okay?"

Quite honestly, Elizabeth wasn't sure, but at times like this, a lie was as good as any uninformed truth. "We won't…feel a thing, I'm positive!" she smiled thinly, straightening her posture confidently, and then nervously swallowed.

Will glanced back at his betrothed and quirked one brow uncertainly, as if negating her comment.

And, Leo caught the expression, too. That was when he knew that Elizabeth wasn't at all sure about anything. Once again, he wanted this whole experience to be nothing but a bad dream. He sighed and turned back to the window again. As the ship hovered atop the wave, before it plunged over the edge, what he saw coming towards them caused him to gasp and grab the sill.

It seemed that from the time Don had made his proclamation, the pyroclastic flow – with its hot mass of steam-blended mud – had caught up with the ship. It rolled right up to and past them and at a speed so impressive, it was as if they were not only dead in the water, but sailing in the opposite direction and at full speed.

Suddenly, the volcaniclastic material engulfed the ship. As everyone on board screamed in terror, Don's prediction came true; the Black Pearl caught fire!

_**TBC**_

x x x x x x


	23. There Be Landlubbers Here, Matey!

_**Disclaimer – **__Yes, another update__ – and, for __Cynlee__, this one is a tad bit longer in length, too!__ Go me. Seriously, though, I feel mildly rejuvenated regarding this story. Ideas I never would have thought of before are now making themselves known. Had I escaped the clutches of Writer's Block__ 'way back when'__, I would have missed__ using the__ many mishaps for __our __guys__ and would be now lamenting about my muses' __restrict__ive__ creativity. So, for those of you struggling through your next chapter, groaning to get every word and sentence written or typed down, remember this…by rushing through your story, you__ might__ miss all the good ideas and plots and ugly situations__in which to put__ your character(s)__that might__ otherwise__ come to mind while weathering your dry spell. __ Sometimes, Writer's Block can be a good thing. :0__ Yes__, it __could. :0)_

_Anyway, giving nothing away, happy reading!_

x x x x x x x

**Chapter 2****3****– There Be Landlubbers Here, ****Matey**

Mike was bored.

Seriously and unequivocally bored.

With legs straddling the bowsprit, the orange-wearing turtle lay sprawled on his plastron, comfortably positioned above the Pearl's prow. While he held onto the spur for support, he looked down into the waters far below him, watching as a pod of porpoise raced the ship. It was a family, he surmised, with several smaller versions of the species keeping up with the larger variety.

"Babies," he decided and then Mikey smiled at how fortunate he was to witness such a scene. Then, he remembered why he was so fortunate and – sighed again.

The ocean-born mammals stayed just ahead of the ship while the Pearl made its way through the Caribbean. Occasionally a few of the adults would dart in front of the vessel, as if playing chicken with the wooden hulk. And Mike always held his breath, too, fearing that one would misjudge the ship's presence and crash into it, but none came close enough to risk a collision.

"Must be ninja…" and Mike giggled at the thought, only to wonder next what it would be like to swim among them. He thought about what Don told him only a few days earlier, that pirates considered porpoise good luck, which gave Mike a considerable amount of relief. It meant he didn't have to worry about the crew harpooning the elegant creatures for food. Of course, because of the curse, no one could eat anyway, so it didn't really matter.

Then, he thought about what Gibbs said, about how a Greek god had once turned men into sea creatures.

"Was it Dynonicus? No, that's not right, that's a dinosaur." Mike's brow crinkled in thought as he lay there, riding the prow as it dipped and soared over the waves. Suddenly, his face brightened, "Ah, it was Dionysus!"

Dionysus – according to Gibbs – could turn people into porpoises, especially pirates who jumped ship.

What they did to deserve such a fate, Mike didn't know and, quite honestly, he really didn't care and he certainly didn't believe such tales, either. Porpoise were cool creatures, though, that much he knew.

At least, that was what he told Raph when Raph questioned him about why he spent so much time on the prow. His red-wearing brother didn't want to believe his reasons either, that all Mike wanted to do was to watch the various forms of sea life, such as porpoise and the occasional whale. Instead, Raphael thought Mike was more interested in the figurehead, a carving of a voluptuous woman. Consequently, he threatened to strap Mike to it, which had Mike yelling, "Fine, go ahead. At least she won't tell me to get out of the way or look at me like I'm going to be the main course once this curse is lifted!"

He huffed then and walked away to pout, and – well – here he was, again, on the prow, trying to keep out of the way of rude brothers and captains and…hungry looks. It didn't help that he had already won the crew's ire, too.

"Just because I don't know anything about pirate superstition and sailing and curses, doesn't mean I'm…stupid!" He pouted again, wishing for land, any land, even…a volcanic island. He mulled over the past two weeks that had brought him to his current mood, how sick he was when they first set sail. He would never forget that spittoon, either…or port-a-potty, as it turned out. In any event, Mike finally had to admit that he was indeed what every crewmember had hissed behind his back for the past fourteen days.

He was nothing but a landlubber.

"As if I care."

Unfettered by Mike's sullen mood, the ship sailed along at full speed, its prow dipping and soaring as it rode each wave. Cutting through the sea, the vessel displaced the water, creating huge sprays, with some of it reaching as high as Mikes dangling legs. He smiled a little bit. It was cool and refreshing, especially considering the warm environment of the West Indies. He looked up, though, towards the horizon and slowly, as before, his smile evaporated.

The expansive sea once again reminded him of just how trapped he was.

The Black Pearl might have been a big ship for its day, but to Mike and his energies it was just too confining. Especially after what he and his brothers had all been through. Between the earthquake in New York and then the strange portal that sent them over two-hundred-years back in time, to end up on an island of gators and acid lakes and incredible treasure – not to mention the curse, the past two weeks had so far been the most boring part of their adventure.

"Seriously, dude, this sailing stuff's way overrated!"

And when his offer to help 'tend sail' found him rebuffed, it became another reason to mope and resign himself to the bowsprit. At least here, at the front of the ship, there wasn't anyone trying to tie something down, repair a sail, or use their work as an excuse to keep the poor turtle down in the Captain's quarters and out of sight, the way his brothers were. Mike needed fresh air, he needed to be outside, and where he had so little of it back home – other than doing his nightly patrols, Mike wanted to take full advantage of his good fortune, such as it was.

Still, Mike became bored in a hurry and, as far as he was concerned, this adventure was turning into one big yawn.

And to think that at one point he'd had enough of adventures. Of course, that one point was AFTER they had almost burned to death from the pyroclastic flow, which came AFTER the island, the acid lake, and all the glorious treasure blew up. And, if not for the 'wonderful' curse, they would have been charcoal from the searing hot tsunami, too.

"It's the little things ye have t'be grateful fer, me lad!" Gibbs had told him.

Of course, afterwards, Mike had to ask Donnie about how the pyroclastic flow happened and why it happened and all while Gibbs, Sparrow, and the crew looked on. Forgetting where he was, Don tried to explain the science of the event, how it was possible for such flows to go to sea by riding on a cushion of superheated air, etcetera, ending his little dissertation with "The force of the blast was probably equal to two hundred megatons of TNT, which added to the tsunami, and thereby helped to carry the flow even farther."

Fortunately, Don had stopped short of comparing the event to an atomic bomb, but his monologue still earned him the nickname _Messdeck Lawyer_ – or, know it all - from Mr. Gibbs, who just shook his head in befuddlement.

"Talkin' turtles are one thing, lad," Gibbs had spat, "but here – on this ship – ye of the four best keep yer beak shut! No pirate wants t'be made to look like a squiffy!" and he walked away, quite offended.

Mike learned later that a squiffy was a pirate's word for buffoon and from then on he had his own nickname for his brainiac brother, which didn't sit well with Donatello.

"Hey, Mr. Squiffy, how's doin'?" Mike would tease, or, "Mr. Squiffy's lookin' spiffy!" which would earn him another reason to hate living on such a small boat. There weren't enough places to run to or places in which to hide. Inevitably, Mike would end up with a sore arm, or lock in the hold or the brig or, if he was lucky enough to escape his brother - where he was now, on the bowsprit, watching the porpoise race the Black Pearl.

Nevertheless, no one could refute how truly scary the volcanic eruption and the aftermath had been. To feel the heat and yet not feel the heat had been rather confusing, if not weird. Had something to do with the curse again, Mike was sure of it, since Jack explained shortly afterwards that one would always feel 'cold' when under the Aztec enchantment, no matter the situation.

"Not THAT cold," Mike whispered, still remembering how the flow of volcanic ash and tsunami had nearly engulfed the ship and would have if Sparrow hadn't ordered all sails hauled in and lashed. It kept the wind from pulling the boat over. Nevertheless, Mike certainly felt the 'bite' then of what he termed as superheated chocolate mousse.

He was rather smug with his term, too, and, of course, Raph took advantage of his brother's witty remark. Rapping him upside the head for naming something that even sounded like food, it earned a few chuckled from the crew, which lightened the somber mood for everyone, at least for a while. But then Don - once again, a fountain of information and justifying Gibb's nickname for him - tried to explain that the flow was nothing more than eighty percent superheated air mixed with whatever was left of Isla de Muerta and so it wasn't anything like mousse, but was more like foamy mud.

Still, Mike was unimpressed.

"Who cares about how much of '_what__ever__'_ created it, Don, it was still HOT!"

And, for once, Mr. Gibbs, the captain, and most of the crew were in agreement with the orange-wearing mutant.

And, much to his relief, Mike didn't burn up the way he feared he would. In fact, no one on the Black Pearl so much as had a singed strand of hair – or scute, as in the case four ninja turtles. And, thankfully, the Black Pearl didn't incinerate, either, which was a good thing since they would have lost their only mode of transportation if it had.

Mike shuddered at the thought of having to tread water where there "be sharks", at least by what one pirate said.

Just the same, the ship rode the mucky giant wave just as it would the sea. The good thing was that the tsunami's momentum took them far away from the point of origin faster than they would have sailed normally. In fact, it was quite the rush! The pirates had never moved so fast and Don, again, explained that more than likely they were traveling in excess of seventy miles an hour, which was amazing in and of itself, no matter the century.

Regardless, though, they missed most of the volcanic projectiles spawned from the island's destruction. They traveled quite far, too, only it took them in the wrong direction that Jack wanted to go. Because of that, they were now in the process of doubling back and after two weeks with nothing but the deep blue sea to look at – other than pirates, the ship, and (interestingly enough), Elizabeth - Mike had become annoyingly bored.

Well, annoying to the crew and at least one of his brothers, anyway.

And despite his ruminations, his flashbacks, and watching the marine mammals swim below him, Mike was still very much bored out of his mind.

"I mean, com'on," he complained half aloud to the porpoise below, "there's gotta be more ships on the sea, so – where are they?" He looked to the heavens, declaring loudly, "I. WANT. SOMETHING. EXCITING. TO …!"

And then, perched atop the crow's nest, a crewmember hollered, **"****SAIL HO****!"**

Mike startled and if not for the bobstay, he would have fallen into the ocean with the porpoise. Fisting the support line and saving himself from an impromptu bath, Mike clambered back onto the bowsprit and straddled it, looking around, wondering what the crewman had seen, excited that at least something was happening. Shielding his eyes against the glaring sun, suddenly he saw what the lookout had spied.

Off to his left, there it was – and then he corrected himself, because one never said left – or right - on a pirate's ship. Apparently, it was bad luck. In fact, apparently pirates saw many things as bad luck. Mike shuddered, in fact, remembering what happened the first time he uttered a forbidden word. It was shortly after they realized that they were heading in the wrong direction – thanks to what Jack's strange compass determined. When he figured out which way they had to sail, the captain announced that they had to change course. Confused with the term 'starboard', Mike had asked which direction that was and when Gibbs pointed, Mike remarked, "Oh, you mean right?"

Big mistake. His comment had nearly every crewmember coming down on top of him.

"Ye want Neptune hisself sending us t'Davy Jones' Locker? Ne're utter that word…or…the other!" cried Gibbs, wedging himself between the turtle and the enraged crew, who wanted to toss him overboard.

"Other what?" Mike was truly confused.

"Ye know, tha' other word, kind of like…the first word." Gibbs made some jerking motion with his head, to imply what the 'other' was, but Mike was still confused.

"Say what?"

"Ya know, opposite of…tha'**other** word." And once more Gibbs jerked his head hard.

"Oh, you mean…left?"

That time, Mike nearly found himself keelhauled, and if not for Sparrow ordering him back to the captain's quarters – for safekeeping, Mike would have been soup de jour that evening, regardless of the curse. There were shouts of "Neptune's fool" and "feed'em t'the sharks 'fore Neptune claims us."

It was pure pandemonium for a moment, but once in Jack's quarters, Mike found himself chastised by both Raphael AND Donatello about shutting his beak from now on, while Leo stayed on deck, doing his best to impress upon the 'locals' that his brother was a simpleton. Of course, that was when the crew began using 'landlubber' to describe Mike.

The turtle shuddered again at the thought of becoming turtle stew, though, or was it salamander stew? "No, that wasn't it…what was that word", Mike thought, and then he remembered it. Salmagundi. Anyway, he nearly swooned at the thought of becoming soup but then Mike remembered the 'Sail ho" call.

Quickly standing, with one hand on the bobstay for balance, and the other still shielding his eyes from the bright sun, Mike stared hard at the object. Off in the distance and just short of the horizon on his leeward side, sailed a tall three-mast ship, similar to the Black Pearl. It was bigger, though, and its flag was different, too. The colors of the flag were at first indiscernible, but the closer it sailed to the Pearl, the clearer the colors became. Finally, he could tell that they were red, white, and blue and, for a moment, Mike's heart leapt for joy, only – he slowly realized that the colors weren't HIS red, white, and blue.

These were different.

At first, he couldn't say why they were different. But, as the vessel sailed even closer, the detail on the flag became more pronounced, and reminded Mike of crosses and X-es and then he remembered Splinter's lesson on countries and their flags. Not that he cared at the time, since he was more than certain that he would never, ever get a chance to visit any of the countries Sensei talked about, but there were a few that appealed to him for one reason or another. Suddenly and as he stood there balancing on the bowsprit, he remembered what country to which this flag belonged.

England.

Mike became even more excited and so he stood up on the slippery beam, still holding onto one of the bobstay lines. He waved and waved and waved, a huge smile plastered on his face. He just loved people who talked with English accents and he knew they were a friendly lot, too, at least from the few tourists he had met in New York, while under the disguise of his trench coat and fedora hat, of course. Maybe the British ship would stop to pay a visit, enjoy a spot of tea, but then Mike realized that maybe they would not be as kind to him and his brothers as Jack and the pirates were. For some strange reason, that sounded wrong and on so many levels, until Mike remembered that the Black Pearl flew the Jolly Roger.

Mike's joy suddenly turned to anxious trepidation. Once again, Splinter's lessons came back to him; this time regarding history and pirates and patrolling British ships. With much disappointment, Mike realized that a friendly visit from the Brits would not be forthcoming.

Yet before he could consider what Jack Sparrow would do, the Pearl suddenly veered starboard and away from the fast approaching English frigate. Considering she was a water-born ship coursing through the dense Caribbean Sea, the force of the turn wasn't as abrupt. For Mike, though - who wasn't expecting it at all - it was enough to catch him completely off guard. The fact that the bowsprit was slick with sea spray only compounded that problem, too.

Before he could brace himself, Mike slipped from the bowsprit, losing his hold on the line, and found himself falling head first into the sea.

Below deck and safely ensconced within the Captain's quarters, Don had taken a break from reading maps and was currently gazing out the large rear window of the ship. Leo and Raph were competing over a chessboard (which was quite the sight, no less) a few feet away.

In any event, with his elbows propped up on the wide sill and resting his chin on top of his clasped hands, the moment the ship turned away from its course, Donatello sat up in his chair. He looked around and then back through the window again, confused by the change of direction, but then what he saw next had his eyes nearly popping from their sockets.

There, floundering among the Pearl's rough and foamy wake and falling further behind the ship floated Mike, waving his hands frantically and, considering his wide-opened mouth, apparently screaming for help.

_**TBC**_

_**x **__**x**____**x**____**x**____**x**____**x**____**x**_

_**A/N – **__Bwahahahaha_


	24. Sailing, Sailing, Over the Open Sea

_**DISCLAIMER – **Don't own anyone, especially the movie Jaws or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. And thanks to those continuing to stay with me throughout this story and big hugs to everyone who have reviewed. You've all been very encouraging. :0)_

_x x x x x x x_

**Chapter 24 – Sailing, Sailing, Over the Open Sea**

The moment Don shot from his chair and vaulted over the table, Leonardo knew that something had happened - and it wasn't because the Pearl had changed course, either. That the ship had even turned about was surprising enough. But to watch Donatello jump over the desk without so much as a "Hey, Leo, something's wrong" (_especially where he had been so detached after all the teasing Mike and the crew heaped on him earlier_), told Leo that something had gone amiss.

"Don, what's wrong, what's going on?"

Instead of answering as he would normally, Don ignored Leonardo's query, nearly ripping the cabin door from its hinges as he opened it. He then ran outside, frantically yelling, "MAN…I mean…TURTLE OVERBOARD, TURTLE **OVERBOARD**!"

Leo and Raph both looked at each other in stunned surprise, "MIKEY?"

The two exploded from their seats, running out the cabin door and on deck as they followed Donatello outside. When they noticed Don rush for the bulwarks, shouting as he ran, "I gotta save him! He'll drown, or get eaten by sharks, or…" Leo raced after him.

"NO, DON, **DON'T**!" Leonardo yelled frantically, soon catching up with him and just in time to prevent Don from jumping over the railing to join his floundering sibling in the sea. Leo grabbed Don by the arm and spun him around, "STOP! What happened?"

"It's MIKE!" Don snapped, "He must have lost his balance on the bow sprit when the ship changed course and now he's in the sea, all by himself, probably _drowning_!" He nearly lost his composure, then, "We need to get this boat turned around or Mike could DIE!" Even though what he just said completely contradicted the fact that Mike couldn't possibly drown due to the curse, it didn't seem to matter for the moment. Don didn't wait for a vote on the topic. Instead, the bo-wielding turtle raced around Leo and Raph, bounding up the companionway stairs, taking three steps at a time. He quickly reached the helm above and hollered excitedly, "CAPTAIN SPARROW, YOU HAVE TO TURN THIS SHIP ABOUT…**NOW**!"

He found the pirate at the wheel, gripping the handholds tenaciously - one fist hard around the two o'clock pin, while the other clasped his precious compass. With his eyes fixed hard on the new horizon, he had a look of stern determination, seemingly oblivious to Donatello's presence.

Don repeated his urgent request a second time, and this time Jack replied, his eyes still facing towards the Pearl's bow, "Nay, laddie, can't do that, need t'put speed in them sails and get away, 'fore that frigate catches us." He stared hard towards the prow of the ship, ignoring Don and now Leo and Raph as they joined their brother. The rest of crew behaved as if unaware of Michelangelo's plight or his brother's petitions, but instead scrambled about, either on deck as they cinched sails tighter to coax more speed from the ship, or balancing on yardarms above, unfurling smaller sails previously tied up in reserve. Suddenly, as the newly released canvas snapped open with a loud proclamation, the wind caught the material and, almost immediately, the Pearl picked up momentum.

"BUT, BUT…**MIKE** FELL **OVERBOARD**!" Don declared loudly, grabbing the man' shoulder and turning him about in desperation, thereby garnering his gaze, "WE HAVE TO TURN BACK, Captain, we HAVE to!"

By this time, Leo and Raph had joined their panicky brother, but they watched, rather than interfered, standing behind Donatello, ready to press the issue if the pirate did not comply.

Shrugging from the turtle's grasp, Captain Sparrow's eyes narrowed at the mutant, "Serves'em right for not holdin' on. Nothin' but a waister, he was. 'Sides…" he looked ahead again, "He's a turtle, he can swim, unless…he can't, and then, doesn't matter anyway, he won't drown – the curse, remember? 'Sides, I still can't assist."

Now, all three turtles were yelling for the captain to turn the ship about. When Jack still refused, Leo and Raph both reached for their weapons.

Jack caught the threatening movement, though, and wasted no time. He whipped out his pistol and cocked the lever quickly as he brought it up smartly, pressing it hard into Donatello's beak. Don gulped. With one brow raised, the pirate lowered his voice in threat, eyeing the other turtles, "I suggest the two of ye still yer hand. Though yer brother here may not die, seein' as how we're cursed, I assures you, die or no, th'shot it'll sting like 'ell!" The man smiled broadly, exposing his gold-capped teeth.

Donatello nodded and took a step back, his two brothers reluctantly doing the same. For now, they left their weapons sheathed.

Jack smiled, "Now, there's a trio o'smart turtles."

Nonetheless, the murderous glare they showed him told Jack Sparrow that he had suddenly made an enemy times three.

In response, he quickly offered, the smallest hint of compassion edging his words, "Terribly sorry 'bout yer siblin', **but**…" the pirate briefly waved his gun in the direction of the ship's stern before quickly bringing it back to point at Don's beak, again. "If ye takes a look-see out the stern, ye will notice we're not alone on the high seas 'nymore. What's comin' might not take time t'understand ye three. Ay, we can fight," Jack nodded, "an' prob'ly sink the bugger ship, but…on the off chance we don't an' they clap all o'us in irons – _an' the curse won't protect ye from that, laddies _– ye'll be a curiosity t'em. So's they'll take ye back to good ol' England, an' given over t'doctors who likes t'fiddle with strange things such as yerselves, t' find out what ye are and how yer made, AND…" Jack poked Don's plastron with the end of his pistol, "what ticks - inside - this shell o'yers." Jack smiled broadly, "Given the fact yer cursed an' cannot die…ye'll watch as they cut ye open and screams ye will but ye can't do nothin' 'bout it, cuz tied down ye'll be!" He then finished with a smug grin, "So we run! Savvy?"

Leo's expression narrowed dangerously as he took one measured step towards the pirate, "We do not run, Captain. But if you insist on doing so, then please release one of your rowboats, so we can go **rescue** our **brother**."

"Nay, again, laddie, it'll take much too much time and time is naw what we have a lot of, ya see," Jack noticed the creatures expression grow more livid and so he added, "That frigate back there is fast, faster than the one I helmed not long ago by the looks of it, and one most likely captained by someone who wants me t'dance th' hempen jig…and personally speakin, boys, I 'aves no desire t'appease that rope!"

"What in the world is a Hempen Jig?"

"Th' hempen jig, Raphael," Jack replied airily, "is when you wear a noose-tie around yer neck and they hang you out like a puppet, kickin' and squirmin' 'til ye can't kick nor squirm n'more."

"Oh."

Then, using his gun again to gesture where he wanted the turtles, Jack added, "Now, ye three best get yerselves down below and outta me way, 'cuz if tha'which is chasin' us DOES manage t'catch up, they won't be fightin' w'swords and fancy forks." He waved his pistol about, implying the type of weapon his pursuers would use.

Raph growled, apparently insulted by such a trivial description of his precious weapons, and Jack smirked and cocked his head coyly.

"But, we can fight, Captain, we're not helpless here," Don interrupted, "and bullets obviously aren't a problem for us, either…the curse, remember?" Don saw Jack's expression fall and knew he had made a valid point.

Leo smiled and concurred, "That's right Captain Sparrow, my brothers and I are well trained in the art of warfare."

Raph nodded eagerly and cracking his knuckles as if to limber up.

Sparrow carefully studied the mutants for a moment, one eyebrow cocked in mild interest. Finally, he said, sarcasm dripping from each word, "Now, isn't tha' a surprise. War-farin' turtles? Who would a'magin." He harrumphed, then, "It's not news ye have courage, lads, given our first encounter on the recently disposed island." Jack took a deep measured breath, "But I have an agenda and I don't wants to waste time fightin'."

Before Leonardo could argue Jack's position, Gibbs came barreling up the companionway stairs, shouting his way over to the captain as he barged through the turtles, "I dunno how they did it, Cap'n, but tha' ship must 'ave caught a wind, 'cuz it's sailin' on a run. The frigate will soon be within firin' range!"

Sparrow spun around and stared hard behind him. The frigate was only a quarter mile away. Almost in answer to Gibb's proclamation, it fired one of its cannons as a warning. However, the ensuing projectile missed the Pearl by only a few yards. Jack's eyes flashed wide, "Bugger all, yer right, Mr. Gibbs. We need t'get more speed!" Jack turned and yelled at the men above, who were working the sails, "YOU, UP THERE, TIGHTEN THOSE SAILS MORE, OR WE'LL HAVE T'FIGHT!"

Gibbs cleared his throat and asked, "An…tha'would be bad because…"

"The Aztec's treasure, Mr. Gibbs? Curse or no, d'ya really wants t'risk the ship going t'ground…even a wee bit? Tis a deep part o'the sea we're in and I, fer one, care not t'retrieves the coins…from where Davy's _Pet_ sleeps! Savvy?"

Gibbs nodded eagerly, almost nervously, eyes wide, "Aye, Cap'n, I sees what ye mean…" and he turned and raced back down the steps, yelling for the rest of the crew to "hurry up and _frap_ that sail", or "someone unfurl the lateen", as well as threatening any sailor moving too slowly with a double dose of keelhauling.

Unfortunately, the moment his first mate left the helm, Sparrow found his pistol suddenly knocked from his hand. It fell to deck and skittered across the slick boards, out of reach of Jack. Before he could go for his cutlass, Raph had him by the throat, slamming the pirate against the mizzenmast behind him. As the enraged turtle pressed himself hard against the man to keep Jack from unsheathing his sword, Raphael growled, "I AM NOT LEAVIN' MIKE BEHIND, YOU FRICKIN' PIRATE!" And to prove his intent, Raph brought a sai into position close to Sparrow's face. While he slowly closed off Jack's windpipe, Raphael sneered, "Or we'll mutiny this ship and toss 'ye t'Davy Jones Locker', minus an EYE!" His smile widened malevolently.

Leo stood back and watched as Raphael strangled the captain. The red-wearing turtle's expression narrowed in intensity as his hand tightened around Jack's throat. However, no matter how much pressure Raph applied, the pirate just stood there hard against the mast, smiling, which infuriated the ninja even more.

"I can see yer rather serious about goin' after yer brother, I can understand that." Jack graveled out, his vocal chords chafing under his opponent's strength. "But…yer attempt t'strangle the breath outta me has a wee bit of a problem, mate."

"Wazzat?" Raphael growled.

"The curse, remember. If I can't die, then ye can't strangle me. Tis simple 'rithmatic, laddie."

Despite Sparrow's logic, Raphael refused to let go, and he spat, "Then I'll take an eye, or BOTH!"

For a moment, Jack's confidence waned a little. Finally, Leo came to his rescue.

"Raph, we're wasting time. Let him go. There…are better ways."

Before he released his captive, Raphael shoved his face close to Jack's, nearly spitting as he declared, "I promise ya this, Sparrow; the moment we're free from this curse, yer mine!"

Then, the turtle let go of Jack's throat and the pirate sidestepped around the mutant, coughing a bit. When he finally recovered, he grinned, "I much prefers women, laddie."

"Why YOU…" but before Raphael could reclaim Jack's throat again, Leo stepped in-between the two.

"Let it go, Raph, he's just baiting you. We have Mike to worry about, remember?"

The turtle in red stood there, glaring at the pirate, who smirked in reply. Finally, Raph conceded, "Yeah, yer right, Leo, but – seriously," and he glared at his brother, "this joker's gonna feel the business end of my sai the moment we're mortal again!"

"Fair enough."

Behind them Jack seemed to pat himself all over, whirling about, as he looked around, "Hey, where's m'cutlass?" squeaked Jack.

Leo smiled as he turned to face the man, "Right here, Captain." In the blue turtle's hand was the pirate the newly pilfered sword, taken from the man's bandolier during his encounter with Raphael.

Now, as the three mutants surrounded him, the mizzenmast still at his back, as three sets of weapons pointed at his face, Jack truly panicked.

Leonardo grimly instructed, "Now, Captain, you will do as we request and turn this ship around. If we have to engage in battle AFTER we rescue Mike, so be it, but I would rather go down with the ship – curse or no curse - with all of my brothers than leave even one of them behind!"

To emphasis Leonardo's words, Raphael brought his sai up towards the pirate's right eye again, "And curse or no curse, I bet this'll hurt just as much as a shot to Don's beak!"

Jack gulped and nodded, "Correct," and then he finally seemed to acquiesced, "I'll turn this ship about, just as ye request, but if I so much as lose even a single coin," the pirate's face tightened, despite the threat to his eyesight, "one o'you have t'fetch it, savvy?"

All three turtles slowly chorused and nodded, "Savvy!"

"Well, then," the pirate said cheerily and slipped around the mizzenmast, again, and out of reach of his opponents' weapons, "Les' get this boat about, shall we?"

Jack swaggered over to the helm, mindful of the three well-armed mutants behind him,

While Don and Raph bookended the pirate and with Leo at the man's back, Jack pocketed his compass, and then delicately grabbed the wheel pins. As he began turning the ship around, once again, the Pearl changed her course.

x x x x x x

For the first time since he had found himself resurrected from death's grip back on Isla de Muerta, Mike praised all that was holy for the curse. If it were not for that, he was certain he wouldn't have survived the Black Pearl slamming into him after he fell into the sea.

Now, with sinking apprehension, Mike watched as the ship completed its turn. He shouted again for help, hoping someone from the boat would hear him and alert the captain. Unfortunately, his efforts proved futile as the abrupt displacement of water by the Pearl created far too much noise. Now, the ship sailed away, heading west from where he floated. The wake itself nearly overcame the poor turtle and he had all he could do to stay afloat within the churning water. When the turbulence finally leveled out, Mike desperately looked back at the Pearl, searching, hoping someone had heard his pleas. Yet, not one person - or turtle – looked back, no one seemed to notice him in the sea, or maybe they didn't even care. After all, since the tsunami, he had overheard snatches of conversations from the crew about how much of a burden he was. He had heard them label him a waister, whatever that was.

Nevertheless, poor Mike could do nothing more but tread water while he stared forlornly at the retreating ship. Soon, a feeling of hopelessness crept into his usually joyful self.

As he allowed his gaze to travel up the stern and to settle on the captain's window, something caught Mikey's attention. It was a turtle looking out from the Jack Sparrow's personal quarters, a face pensive and resigned, and obviously oblivious to Mikey's plight. A face lined in purple!

Mike heartened.

Don's lack of reaction, though, caused Michelangelo's momentary joy to crash. For a moment, Mike was certain that even Don had missed noticing his baby brother floundering in the sea. All seemed lost.

"Great, my first time on a cruise and I'm lost at sea. First port I swim to, I'm filing a complaint!"

Mike thought about swimming after the Pearl, of course, but its sails had caught a good strong wind. Now, as it sped through the Caribbean full throttle, no way could he hope to catch up with it. He would most likely exhaust himself before that would happen. Defeated, Mike gave one last longing look at the distancing Pearl, trying to capture the receding image of Donatello staring out the window, and it was then when his genius brother gave a wide-eyed expression. In the next moment, Don turned sharply around and because of Mike's position in the water, disappeared from the orange-wearing turtle's view.

"YES!" Mike cheered loudly. Of course, he hoped he was correct, that Don had indeed seen him, but just to make absolutely sure, the turtle in orange waved frantically as he yelled, **"SOMEBODY HEEEEELP, I'M DROWNING!" **

Mike was certain that Donatello went to find Sparrow, maybe even to get the pirate to turn the Pearl about. As the minutes ticked by, though, and as the ship continued to pull away from him, it became all too clear to Mike that Don had not been successful.

_Maybe he's getting back at me for teasing him? _thought Mike, but he realized quickly that that wasn't Don's way.

Then again, Mike recalled Sparrow saying something about how the curse could change a man, make him more 'cuthroaty', greedy, and lusty (_and that last one explained why Elizabeth at times seemed so alluring to Mike_). Still, the longer Mike watched the ship as it sailed away, the more he realized with a sinking heart that the Black Pearl would not be changing its course. Consequently, Mike bobbed there in the Caribbean Sea, alone. A feeling of self-pity washed over him, suddenly, causing him to think about how much he was going to miss his brothers, his Sensei. It didn't take too long before Mike began to tear up and then, suddenly…. the Pearl changed her course again.

As it came about and began heading towards him, Mike cheered, pumping the air with one fist, only to then feel a tingling sensation nip at the back of his neck, a kind of warning, as if something was coming up behind him. It was then when he remembered the other ship.

Instinctively, the turtle dove under the waves, and just as he did, the frigate roared over the very spot where he had been.

As with the Pearl, Mike found himself rudely knocked around by the ship's forward hull, the wooden vessel tumbling him down and under in the water as it rode over him. The abrupt displacement of sea pushed him even deeper underneath the surface and Mike had to force himself not to panic, counting on the curse, again, to keep him alive. And it did just that and in the same way when he had walked the sea floor from Isla de Muerta with his brothers and Mr. Gibbs.

Once clear of the vessel, Mike stopped descending. He hovered there underwater and gazed upwards, watching as the frigate sailed overhead, a dark silhouette against the bright afternoon sun. As it continued its course towards the pirate's ship, Mike realized with sudden clarity that it was in pursuit, and more than likely to engage in battle.

Pirates, after all, were the scourge of the high seas and more than likely had bounties issued for either their capture or eradication. Mike knew from Splinter's history lessons that the British were the police of the open sea and their navies took great pains to bring such pirates to justice.

Quickly, the orange-wearing turtle swam to the surface and the first thing he heard when he did were explosions…and then more explosions. When he looked around for the two ships, he saw the frigate had pulled even with the Pearl. The two vessels were now sailing side by side, their cannons firing at one another. Plumes of smoke bellowed from each discharged cannon, with small explosions erupting on the frigate as the Pearl scored and then a similar bombardment hit the pirate's ship almost immediately. Fortunately, the vessels were too far apart to allow anyone to swing Tarzan-style to the opposing ships, so for now, it was a simple sea battle between the two, the crew of each trying to sink the other without engaging in actual hand-to-hand combat.

Mike wasn't sure how the curse worked with the ship, but that was his farthest and least important thought. He cared for only one thing.

"Great and here I am missing all the fun."

His need for adventure suddenly reborn, the orange-wearing turtle immediately began swimming towards the warring ships. As he did, Mike tried to decide which one to board.

"Lessee, the Brits probably have some great tea and scones, maybe some lemon curd…wait…that's right, I can't taste anything. Shoot." Mike stopped swimming for a moment, mulling over his problem. Before long, he came to a quick resolution and began swimming again, "Well, guess it's back to the Pearl, at least they know me there and 'sides…my bros are there and they're just as unhungry as I am!"

It was then, when Mike discovered a new problem.

"How in blazes am I goin' t'get up to deck and not get blown to pieces? Well, not that it matters, cuz I'm cursed and all, but…yeah, dude?" He thought for a moment and suddenly brightened, "Hey, if Don caused Sparrow to turn the ship around, I bet he or Leo or even Raph are waiting to throw me a rope!" Another explosive boom resonated over the water and Mike sighed, "No, they're probably watching the show. How can they not? Well, I'm ninja, I'll think of something, but I have to get over there first."

Once he reached the warring ships, Mike looked up and stared at the Pearl. Since the ship had turned around, no longer could Mike see the captain's window. The bow sprit from which he fell loomed high overhead, teasing him, reminding Mike how stupid he had been for not being more aware. He hoped to see Don or Leo – or even Raph looking for him, but the longer he waited without even a hint of a brother, the more Mikey realized they probably had more important things to do.

"Shoot, now what…" but he found his thoughts interrupted when something fell in the water just in front of him, shooting up a huge spray of sea. When nothing else happened, Mike figured it was just a wayward cannon ball overshooting its target – the Pearl, in this case.

Yet, as it fell out of sight on its way to the bottom of the sea, hundreds if not thousands of feet below him, Mike had sudden visions of monsters. Credit his love of movies, such as Jaws and Twenty-thousand Leagues under the sea. Once again, Mike had a good enough reason to shout for help.

**"HELP, HELP, SOMEBODY TOSS ME A ROPE!" **

Still, no one seemed to hear or notice him. Then again, with the concussion of explosions and shouts of battle cries from the crew, it wasn't any wonder. And where the ship's stern proved an effective barrier, Mike realized that no one would see him either. So, Mike swam around to the port side of the pirate's ship and away from where the battle raged. As he came alongside the Pearl, Michelangelo scanned the bulwarks above hoping to catch someone's attention. What crew he saw hung on lines and yardarms high above the deck, firing their pistols towards the starboard side andwhere the frigate was. Of course, no one thought to look his way, and why would they? Their attention was on shooting the enemy than on wondering where some waister of a mutant turtle was.

"Why would anyone even care," Mike lamented sorely.

All of a sudden, a familiar face came into view as it peered over the railing above. It was a rather pretty and familiar face, too. Mike knew right away that it wasn't Gibbs or Jack – or even Raph.

It was…Elizabeth Swann. She seemed to be reloading her weapon and just happened to look over the edge of the ship. That was when she saw Mikey.

"HEY, LIZ BABY…" Mike shouted happily, bobbing like a cork in the sea, and grinning up at the woman.

Elizabeth scowled down at him with all the air of a spoiled princess – or someone too busy to care in that moment. Instead of calling for someone to help him or even toss Mikey a line, Ms. Swann moved out of the floundering turtle's line of sight.

Mike began to panic, now, his yell turning into a girly scream, "HEY, DON'T DO THAT, DON'T GO...away." Now, he really pouted and as the wallowing turtle dropped his gaze to the side of the ship, he suddenly cheered.

Handholds! The side of the ship had handholds! Well, horizontal slats, anyway, which were just as good as any handhold, probably had something to do with keeping the boards of the boat intact, Mike thought, but they would do well enough for climbing! "I am ninja, after all!"

Not wasting a moment, he quickly swam towards the ship, using the waves to speed him along. As he came to the Pearl, he found himself vaulted high against the vessel by one very large wave. It deposited him against the hull and as he felt wood, he grabbed the side, and soon found a slat. Digging his fingers firmly into the horizontal boards, Mikey held on tenaciously as the wave dropped back down to the sea again. Then, Michelangelo began to climb. Grabbing the one-inch wide slats, Mike hauled himself up and as soon as his toes found purchase, he focused himself on getting to the deck above. Pushing both feet against the side of the ship, he began to grab-and-push, grab-and-push.

Suddenly, Michelangelo heard someone call out his name.

"MIKEY?"

Mike looked up and when he saw a familiar purple mask, the turtle in orange grinned as wide as the sea itself.

Don, good old wonderful brother Don, the brother Mike had teased, the brother he had dubbed Mr. Messdeck Lawyer extraordinaire, the brother who would be justified in flipping Mike off for all the trouble he had caused him.

Mike grinned even bigger and gave his wonderful brother the largest puppy-dog eyes he could muster, "Hey, Donnie-san, my knight in shining armor, my favoritest brother in the whole world, what's the deal here, you start a war and didn't invite me? Com'on, toss me a rope, will ya?"

**_TBC_**

x x x x x x x

**_A/N_**_ – **Waister** means an incompetent sailor; **frap** means to tighten the sails; **lateen** is a triangular sail rigged on a ship's spar – or bowsprit, which is what Mike straddled in the previous chapter: and **keelhauling** is a type of punishment where a sailor is stripped of clothes and then tied to a weighted line (his hands and legs bound to prevent him from swimming). He's then dragged quickly underwater from one side of the ship to the other. Usually, the man drowns or becomes severely injured by the barnacles on the hull. If _'there be sharks in them waters' _and with the ensuing loss of blood due to shredded skin, consider said sailor 'fish bait'. _

_. _


	25. Honor Wins!

_**Disclaimer**__: All new from the original uploaded chapter 25. Yes, I said I was taking a hiatus (and I am), but I was bored one day and played with what I had uploaded, adding new stuff, rearranging some of the old, and ended up with over 6,000 words. I like keeping my chapters under 3,000 if I can. Anyway, I decided to split what I ended up with and now, Chapter 25 is mostly new. Don't worry, as I've kept most of what I had before, but for a later time. Anyway, this one has a bit more action, more dialogue, and I think the continuity within the POTC arc. But, that's just my POV. _

_Anyway, I wanted to have more conflict between the turtles and the curse, trying to be as 'realistic' as one can, considering this is fantasy. Keeping to the canon, if you will. So, rather than waiting to replace it when I return to writing, I've decided to do it now. I hope my original reviews 'stay the course', but – well – if they don't, then my apologies to those who wrote them. _

_As always, I don't own anything other than this plot and a different HMS Falcon than the one which sailed through the early 1940's by the British navy. _

**x x x x x**

**Chapter 25 – Honor Wins!**

Considering their long, uneventful '_cruise'_ since the tsunami, the turtles had been bored for far too long. Simply put, the battle with the British Navy couldn't have come at a better time. Of course, given the curse-driven thirst for blood and mayhem, all four brothers fought with an intensity that went well beyond the norm.

At least, they would have had the two ships sailed close enough for boarding.

As it turned out, the vessels sailed too far apart to allow for either side to invade the other, at least not without setting down a longboat and rowing over. And it was frustrating, too, because Leo and his brothers were unable to use their weapons. Consequently, the only way to lob any kind of an attack against the encroaching British was doing what the rest of the crew were doing. They took up pistols. Considering their lack of experience with such weaponry, it proved quite problematic, too, especially with how poorly made the guns were, at least compared to the more modern version the mutants were familiar with. It made things more difficult to hit anything, other than the frigate's hull.

Nonetheless, the air crackled and boomed with the sounds of pistol and cannon fire. Smoke from ignited gunpowder wafted amongst both crews like choking swirls of fog, sometimes obscuring the ships from each other. Yet it did nothing to quell the blood-curdling screams from the British, as pirate-initiated shot found their mark. Like leaves in an autumn gale, men fell from the Falcon's yardarms, dropping into the sea, wounded or killed. It seemed the British were taking a heavy toll, yet they persisted against the pirates, determined and resolute.

While the turtles grouped as one behind the bulwarks, each took aim at their individual targets. Unfortunately, their lack of success was becoming frustrating.

"This is ridiculous, Leo!" Raphael roared irritably, "I can't hit ANYTHING with this stupid gun."

Mike was in full agreement, "Yeah, dude, I mean, if we can't kill anyone, who knows which side wins?"

"I have to agree, these guns are poor excuses for weapons," Leo concurred, "but, for now, it's all we have to work with."

"Unless the boats drift closer together, but if feels as if Captain Sparrow is preventing that."

"You think he's doing it deliberately, Don?"

"I don't know, Leo, but I do know every time the frigate gets close enough for its crew to board, the Pearl moves far enough away to prevent it."

"I would think Jack would WANNA fight, I mean…that's what I wanna do."

"Raph, you always want to fight."

"No, Leo, this time it's different, I mean, give me no reason at all and I'd even shoot Don's head off."

Donatello stared wide-eyed in horror at his brother, "Seriously?"

"Well, don't you feel like doin' that? I mean, I feel so…weird right now, like I wanna see blood and guts and..."

"Yeah, dudes, I can't wait to use my chucks!" Mike grinned, "Or better yet, a sword! Yeah, I can really get into this swashbuckling stuff!"

Leo looked strangely at his baby brother. He knew that Mike hated sharp pointy things, especially swords, which was why he favored the nunchukus. Mikey didn't even like to use throwing stars, but before Leonardo could give more thought to the strangeness affecting his brothers, suddenly the bulwarks in front of him splintered as British shot ricocheted off the hull. It was enough to bring the turtle in blue back into the fight. For the moment, Leo stopped wondering about his brothers and took aim at the British ship again.

After a short while, however, the same frustration that beleaguered the turtles began to affect the pirate crew. Everyone began wondering why every time the frigate drew closer, the Pearl would pull away. Blood lust was a heady drug and a cursed blood lust made it nearly impossible to quench. Eventually many of the men began complaining about using their pistols and yelling for Jack to steer the Pearl closer to their enemy.

Their captain refused, however, which gave weight to Don's theory that, for some reason, Jack didn't _want_ to fight.

Drafted by the rest of the men into confronting the captain, as they felt he was least likely to get himself shot for insubordination, Mr. Gibbs rushed up the steps leading to where Jack stood behind the pilot's wheel.

Of course, it helped to know that Jack couldn't kill Gibbs if he wanted to.

Now, he stood nearly nose to nose with Jack, hotly contesting the captain's obvious avoidance to the fight, "I don't sees why we can't engage the enemy hand t'hand, Captain! After all, they're the ones chasin' us, wantin' us dead! An' we're cursed, can't be killed, so the crew wants t'know why ye keeps turnin' away the blasted boat? T'let'em live past a day will leave behind witnesses t'what d'rection we flee. It would be unwise…unhealthy even!"

Jack stood his ground, "No one can finds the Pearl, Mr. Gibbs, other than by chance, but, I do knows what yer feelin'. Neverth'less, we'll discourage from here, we do not engage 'nless pressed t'do so."

"At the risk a'sounding - _**mutinous**_, Jack, I am certain BARBOSSA didn't have such res'vations!"

"Barbossa didn't have a lot of things, mate," Jack flexed his right hand, mindful of 'other things', "An' in case you've forgotten, I'm not 'im." Sparrow straightened his posture just a little, "I would likes to think I can outlast this bedeviled curse."

Gibbs felt a sudden rush of raging irritation, however. His next verbal challenge came faster than he had time to think, which almost proved fatal, or would have if not for the curse, **"Outlast my 'mother's bonnet'. Yer just AFRAID!"**

Almost immediately, Gibbs felt his side pierced with Sparrow's rapier. He flinched and panicked for just a moment, before he realized it really didn't hurt all that much. Still, he found it quite disconcerting to see the sword sticking out from his midsection.

Sparrow noticed the same thing and muttered, "Bummer. Forgot 'bout the curse," and he quickly removed it, only to take his pistol from his waistband, and aimed the nasty end of the gun at the first mate's nose. The captain growled a warning, "Afraid I am not, stupid I am not, but if I hears any more complainin', you and those who side with ye can join the frigate's crew…complete with fancy bracelets and neck wear!" Jack smiled dangerously, a snarl to his lips in threat, "Savvy?"

Joshamee Gibbs gulped, his eyes wide. He stepped back quickly, one hand to his side, fingering the wound, then pleased when he found none. He then threw both hands up in surrendered supplication, "Oh gawd, Cap'n, I'm so sorry, don' know what came over me, mus' be th'curse."

"Yes, it must be, Mr. Gibbs, 'cause if it isn't, then you be treadin' a thin line here. I've had me fill of mutineerin' crew and though you've proved yerself inval'able, I will not risk another." He saw the contriteness in his first mate's face, so he added, "Just tell th' men t'stand down and keep firin'. No hands t'hand unless boarded!"

"Aye, Cap'n. I'll tell the men," Gibbs gave a quick nod and slipped back down the stairs to the crew below.

Some of the men complained mightily, of course, and those men found themselves tossed over the railing and into the sea by Sparrow's more loyal followers, namely Will Turner and Gibbs.

"An' any more of yea wantin' t'mutiny will be join' 'em. So, get back t'yer posts and keep firin'!" Gibbs looked around at the men. His face showed nothing but malice and the crew did hesitate for just a moment. Suddenly, as if nothing at all had happened, they turned went back to their positions, continuing the _passive_ assault on the British frigate.

It was partway through the battle and after he and his brothers began to score hits when Leonardo paused in his shooting. He stared at the enemy beyond and then looked over at his brothers. Each one had an expression unlike them and as he turned and studied the rest of the pirate crew, they, too, had the same look. His face crinkled as his eye ridges pinched together in confusion. "Something's not right, something's...wrong!"

Suddenly, like an epiphany, "_What in blazes are we doing?"_ he wondered in shocked surprise.

Confusion clouded his mind, again, however, and he shook his head to clear it. Leo looked around again, taking in the crazed expressions of the crew and his brothers. He shook his head a second time and gulped deeply. Peering out between the railings of the Pearl, as if for the first time, Leonardo saw how many of the British floated dead or injured in the water. The Falcon itself seemed beleaguered as well, with gaping holes in its side, although none below the water line, at least as far as he could tell. One of its three masts was out of commission, too, the top half broken off. If not for the lines securing it to the others, it would have crashed to the deck, but it was definitely useless. The main mast and the other were still intact, but for how long, Leo didn't know. Certainly not for very long if the Pearl continued firing its cannons, that much Leo was certain. Leonardo was convinced, though, that if the fight continued, the Falcon would surely sink…and for some reason he thought it would be rather cool to see, too.

Once again, a strange thought seeped into his curse-clouded mine, "_But, those men? What about those men? They're just following orders, right?" _

Suddenly, something bubbled up inside of Leonardo's chest, something he had forgotten, something important. Yet, whatever it was, Leo knew that something was wrong, no matter how 'right' he felt about destroying the enemy.

Quickly, he turned to Donatello, "We need to fall back and re-group!"

Donny stared at him incredulously, "What? You're kidding, right?"

Raphael overheard the exchange and couldn't believe what Leo had asked, "No. We're making headway here!"

"I found a problem and it may…help us!" Leo lied. He knew what he saw in Don's expression wasn't his brother and as for Raphael, Leo knew that to tell him to cease his attack would be futile. Lying was a much better alternative to arguing with his brothers, especially when one of them seemed so totally out of character.

"Will it help destroy the other ship?"

Another lie, "Yeah, Don, it…will."

Reluctantly, his brothers followed Leo under the companionway stairs and out of sight from the rest of the crew.

Once under the protection of the stairs, Raph gave Leo a warning glance, "Fearless, this idea of yours betteh be a good enough to get that frigate off our backs!"

"Guys, look, I'm sorry, but it's not about sinking that ship."

Raph sneered dangerously, challenging his older brother, "I thought you said you found something that could help us!"

"I did!"

"No, you're just being a weenie!"

"Am not, it's just…"

"Are, too!" and then Raph began to turn to rejoin the fight. He found himself swung back around, though, as Leo grabbed his shoulder.

"This is not us, Raphael; we do not fight like this!" Leo was nearly snout-to-snout with Raphael, now.

"Maybe not in New York City, Leo, but here on this pirate ship we certainly do!"

"NO, RAPH, this is NOT US!" Leo squeezed his eyes tight as, yet, another overwhelming serge of blood lust attempted to subdue his sense of honor.

"You okay, bro?" Mikey asked and placed a concerned hand on Leo's shoulder, his own eyes glazed with battle fever.

Donatello stood next to him, his expression thoughtful, trying to assess the situation. He watched his older brother appear to falter. Leo's face contorted suddenly, as if fighting some inward battle. Something about what he said intrigued the bo-wielding turtle, something important.

Nodding tentatively, Leo replied, his teeth grating, "Yeah, I will be, Mikey, so long as we stay away from the main deck. And I must insist that all of us stay away."

"No way, Leo!"

"THATISANORDER, RAPHAEL!" Leo roared, a growl edging his words.

Raph suddenly whipped out both sai, "Been wantin' t'use these…"

Quickly and as if he had finally figured out what that important 'something' was, Donatello stepped between the two, a hand on each brother's chest. He then pushed them apart, saying, "Raph, Leo's right. This – _curse_ – seems to have heightened all of our need for a fight. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, I'm experiencing it, too! In fact…" Suddenly, Don seemed to lose focus. He looked over his shoulder and gazed between the steps of the stairs towards the skirmish beyond with an eager expression. It was hungry. As a small strange smile edged his snout, "Yeah and I…_really_ want to run a sword through someone, too!"

Raphael and Michelangelo both gave wide, astounded looks at their normally passive sibling.

Mike scratched his head in confusion, "Donnie? Is that…you?"

Donatello shook himself and continued, "Yeah, it's me, Mikey, but, I know…we all know, that it's wrong, so…um…hard as it will be, let's just DO as Leo suggests, okay?"

Raphael snorted in disgust, his words dripping with sarcasm, "Well, if Don's feeling murderous, I guess that's proof enough th'curse is alive n'well." He gave Leo a nod, "Fine, we'll hang back, but th'moment we get boarded…"

"The moment the British board, we will protect Jack's ship, but we will not _kill_…no matter what!" Leo firmly instructed.

"WHAT?" Raph lost his composure then, "ARE YOU CRAZY?"

"No, I am not crazy, Raphael," Leo said insistently, "But we _are_ cursed and can't die, so it seems rather unfair to kill those who can. And where we are able, we need to keep as many alive as is possible. I know we can't be everywhere. Nevertheless…" Leo sighed, "we do what we can to keep as many alive as we can. And to make sure we don't have too many to worry about, I suggest that we toss the British overboard when possible…that is if they do indeed board us. At the very least it will increase their chances for survival."

"Provided they can swim, Leo." Don added, "From what I've hear from Sparrow's men, just because they're sailors, that doesn't mean they can swim, which means some of the British might have the same problem."

"Well, Don, that's the best I can think of in giving them a chance, unless you have a better idea?"

Don shook his head, "Well, other than releasing one of the Pearl's longboats…and I don't think Captain Sparrow would 'savvy' that, I'll have to agree with you."

Much to his chagrin, Raphael finally agreed, but only conditionally, "Whateveh, Leo, I'll hold back, but if it comes down t'losin' an arm t'any sword, I'm gonna protect m'self, even if it's lethal to th'otheh guy. None of us knows if losin' a limb becomes permanent despite th'curse or if it can grow back and I would rather commit seppuku than end up a one-armed ninja!"

"Okay, I'll allow for that…" Leo gave his brother a critical eye, "…but no taking advantage, okay?"

There was a tense moment as Raphael hesitated. He continued to stare his brother down, appearing to weigh his options, maybe even challenge his brother's lack of faith. He gripped both sai uncertainly. Mike and Don watched nervously, both holding their breath, certain their brother would lose control.

Finally, "Okay. Ya have my word."

"Boy, that's a first!" Mike laughed, only to have Raphael playfully slug him one in the shoulder.

"OW, that hurt!"

"Not as much as getting' yer nose blown off!" Raph grinned maniacally and brought his pistol up hard against Mikey's snout.

The orange-wearing turtle went wide-eyed, gulping nervously, "Point taken, bro!"

**Xxxxxxx**

**TBC**


	26. Of Rum and Honor

_**DISCLAIMER: **__No, I'm not back, not completely, anyway, but I had this written up from before and I was bored. It's mostly familiar stuff, but different in part from when it was originally chapter 25. Just cleaning house. I don't own anyone here, either, other than the HMS Falcon, at least this version of it.___

_Enjoy!_

_**xxxxx**_

**Chapter 26 - Of Rum and Honor**

The four brothers watched as the battle rage on, huddling impatiently from under the safety of the stairs. Above them at the helm, Jack managed the wheel. They waited and hoped – with one of them hoping not nearly as much as the others were – that the two captains would call it 'square' and part ways. However, it was a lot to expect. After all, the Falcon's role in the deal was to bring to justice any pirate it found in the Caribbean, while the Black Pearl's crew had a more heady responsibility…kill and subdue anything in its path.

And the HMS Falcon was most definitely in their path.

Nevertheless, as the minutes ticked by without anyone making headway in the fight, it seemed that neither side was willing to give up. Given the curse, Leo knew that Jack would not simply order his men to stand down. It wouldn't be prudent for one, considering how hard the other side was fighting, and - for another - the curse heightened even the most passive to bouts of violence. Donatello was a perfect example of that.

It was then when Leonardo realized that something else would have to happen for either captain to part ways and it was that which worried him the most.

As the Pearl fired cannon shot after cannon shot at the Falcon, further damaging the Royal navy's finest, Don leaned into his elder brother and whispered, "If this keeps up, Leo, we won't have to worry about boarding the Falcon because there won't be anything left of it."

"Yeah, I know and that's what concerns me," Leo replied, "and that will only mean more men will die." He then asked Raphael, "Hey, Raph, you think you can work your way over to release one of the longboats…"

Just as Raphael snapped his head around to give Leo an incredulous stare, his mouth gapping, the deck suddenly shifted beneath their feet. Surprised, Raph looked out across the length of the Pearl and noticed the horizon had changed. As he considered the other ship's position, now, instead of keeping its distance, the pirate ship seemed to be bridging the gap between it and the HMS Falcon.

"Jack must've changed his mind!" Raphael cheered quietly, smiling expectantly at his brother in blue, "Guess ya don't have t'worry about that longboat, eh?"

Leo muttered, "Guess not."

The unexpected development wasn't lost on any of the two crews, either. An excited roar billowed up from both sides and a temporary but very brief ceasefire ensued, as each side prepared to board the other. Men took the opportunity to reload their pistols, while some strapped cutlasses to their bandoliers. As the vessels sidled up to each other and as the distance between them shortened to only a few yards, just as the frigate's captain gave the order for his men to board, the pirates' salacious need for blood rushed the Falcon. A few British sailors did manage to gain a foothold on the Pearl's deck first, though, but they soon found themselves viciously cut down by the pirates before they could even fire a shot or draw swords.

"Okay, NOW we fight?" Raphael asked excitedly, ginning at Leo.

Sighing, Leo could only say, "Yes, Raph, I guess now we fight!"

Before long, the four turtles rejoined the skirmish again, exchanging their pistols in favor of their tried and true weapons of choice. Like a giant wave of insanity, they joined the pirates and rushed aboard the Falcon in eager anticipation.

Some of the pirates leapt from one deck to the other, while a few swung over using ropes tethered high up to the Pearl's yardarms.

As for the turtles, given their experience with leaping between buildings back in New York City, they had little difficulty bridging the distance between the two ships.

Once Leo and his brothers landed onto the HMS Falcon's deck, they worked at tossing overboard what men they could. When they met too much resistance, they did their best to disable their opponents and with as little bloodshed as possible.

Of course, it helped that the moment the British sailors saw the four turtles, they were startled into stunned inactivity. The frigate's crew seemed terrified, at least at first. Never had these men seen anything as bizarre as Leo and his brothers and many thought for sure that Davy Jones and his Flying Dutchman was close by, if only to pick off stragglers.

However, a sharp order from their captain cut through their fear and had them rallying again, fighting harder than before.

As expected, though, Leonardo had been right. Even with the Pearl taking many cannon shots from the British frigate, the cursed vessel remained virtually unscathed, as did its crew, while the Royal navy suffered the most. All totaled, a dozen of the Falcon's crew died because the turtles couldn't be everywhere at once. Many of the casualties floundered in the sea, wounded, while some floated dead in the water. Others still found themselves suddenly tossed overboard, unharmed. They grabbed onto flotsam splintered from the damaged British ship to stay afloat, lest they drown, and for the moment out of the conflict. A few managed to claw their way up the side of their ship to rejoin the fight, but they had little effect on the battle's outcome.

The end came quickly enough, nonetheless, and as Jack claimed victory while his men held their captives in arm, they cheered and yelled in frenzied jubilation. That was when Leo found himself lost to the allure of the curse. Keeping people alive was one thing, but participating in the fight had heightened other aspects of the curse that he hadn't counted on, something he had never felt before...something unexpected.

Greed.

His own order to protect both crew now forgotten, Leonardo beamed triumphantly, and stood next to Jack Sparrow. The turtle counted his task complete. The roar of cheers from the rest of the pirate crew became a heady drug and so he turned to the pirate, his eyes bright with an unholy light, "THIS WAS A GREAT VICTORY, CAPTAIN!"

"Yes, turtle, indeed it is!" grinned Jack, who gave the terrapin a hearty slap on his carapace. Jack then turned to gaze over his crew. Suddenly, a new expression shone from his face, something not so new, something that overshadowed his lust for blood. Although he had resisted succumbing to the need to kill, he had not done so well when it came time to parting ways with the enemy ship. Like Leo, he had put everything into exercising self-control. That was what motivated Sparrow in keeping the two ships as far apart as possible. However, as the battle continued, like a sudden epiphany, Jack realised – the way Leo had - that the fight would not end until one side had boarded the other. It was why he had changed the Pearl's course, of keeping a bit of distance from the Falcon. He counted on the curse to keep his men and the ship intact, but once his men boarded the frigate, however, it was a matter of complete and total annihilation of the enemy. From then on, it was a 'downhill slide on ice'. It was only then when his intentions slipped away and his self-control faded into something that he was more familiar. Something universally felt by the rest of his crew and the turtles, too.

Greed.

Now, as Sparrow stood atop the Falcon's quarterdeck, the idea of acquiring whatever treasure the Falcon held in its hold swung the pirate captain further into the cursed insanity. With hands on hips, he assessed his triumph. He looked out over the length of the defeated ship and saw what a grand ship she was. He could see where the Falcon had suffered much damage, but he could also ascertain that it was fixable and, therefore, the ship was still seaworthy. He smiled very wide, quite happy with his conquest.

Turning to his first mate, who stood next to him opposite from Leonardo, Jack remarked lustfully, "This ship can be repaired, Mr. Gibbs, and once we rid it of its crew, I will add it to the Pearl and create me own fleet of ships." Sparrow's grin widened further, "I may very well haves me the start of a pirate navy."

"Aye, Captain!" Gibbs concurred eagerly.

Fully entrenched within the tenacious embrace of the curse, Leonardo grinned in appreciation for Jack's remark. He then brightened and wondered which of his men the captain would choose to helm the Falcon. Yet, there was something else that the captain had said that bothered him. His smile faded just a bit as he pondered his concern.

As Jack's smile grew more malevolent and dangerous, his eyes bright with self-amusement, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He seemed to have succumbed fully to the curse and his sense of rapaciousness finally took control. However, as he gave a sideways glance to his first mate, his expression suddenly changed. Jack began to hum quietly to himself as if considering a thought and then, suddenly, he loudly proclaimed to his crew, his voice echoing over the beleaguered HMS Falcon.

"**We will dispense with this lot, take what is duly ours - spoils of war if you cares to call it - and then…"** Jack lowered his voice, just enough to add a bit of threat and foreboding, _**"…we scuttle this ship to the briny deep**_!"

The pirate crew cheered loudly in reply.

"I thought you wanted a navy, Captain?" a voice beside him asked, surprised.

"Yes, I did, Leonardo, but I also do NOT want competition." He turned to the turtle, "How's it pos'ble to manage both ships if I cannaw be everywhere at once? To put any of me men – even Mr. Gibbs, even YOU – at either helm would invite a bit of rebellion, of them goin' their own way. It only makes sense t'scuttle this frigate and that way keeps me crew in one place, under ONE captain…ME!" He smiled wryly at Leo, "As your one brother would say, jus'a matter o' 'rithmatic!"

As the crew continued cheering, Leo saw Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello join in, their own satiated bloodlust replaced with another hunger all together, one they had danced with briefly back on Isla de Muerta. Under the curse, it seemed that greed was just as intoxicating as the urge to spill blood.

However, as the pirate captain began detailing his orders for his men to disembowel or behead the crew before tossing them to the sea like chum, in one brief clarifying moment and challenging his vexed mental state, a voice from Leonardo's past drilled into his mind. It involved some other skirmish, another war, one where he had found himself tempted in some way. Regardless, in that moment, he knew the voice quite well. It belonged to someone he loved.

"_My son, do not forget your honor and do not forget who and what you are!"_

Suddenly, the very notion of what Jack wanted his men to do with the British made Leonardo ill. And, as a result, he nearly retched. Leo swallowed it back down and he took a deep breath of the salted air and blinked, then blinked again. He stared out at the somber faces of the British soldiers and their captain, all standing beaten and defeated, as the pirates prepared to follow through with their captain's request. Some of the enlistments had resigned themselves to their fate, eyes closed, while others appeared angry and hostile.

Still, there were a few who seemed overcome with emotion. One in particular was a boy, possibly new to sea-life, and not at all a seasoned sailor. Leo saw tears stain the child's face and how the boy's chest heaved and hitched from sobbing. The youngster looked thoroughly terrified.

"_He…looks so young! Not even twelve."_ And then Leonardo remembered his orders from earlier.

Suddenly, he found himself yelling at the top of his lungs, screaming, "STOP, CAPTIAN, NO, DON'T KILL ANYONE!" He grabbed the man's arm, desperation in his voice, "we leave, NOW! We let these men go and allow them to find their way back to port. We've done enough damage already."

"WHAT? ARE YE DAFT?" The man could not believe the turtle's request. With one hand on his rapier, Jack prepared to disable the mutant, just in case the turtle used steel to press his words.

Leo didn't miss Jack's discrete movement and so the turtle quickly explained, releasing the man's arm, "If you stop short of decimating your enemy, Captain Sparrow, they will remember YOU long after the event." He further added, "If you kill them, however, there won't be any witnesses to your mercy. Keep in mind that you can only defeat your enemy by making him your friend."

"Ye really are new 'round here, aren't ya?" Jack snorted and shook his head in disbelief. He pulled out his gun, pressing it to the turtle's snout, "Careful with your next set of words, mate…I don't have much patience for mutin…"

"I may be new 'round here," Leo interrupted, "but my advice is sage advice, and advice older than _most_ civilizations." As Leo carefully pushed the gun away from his face, while his other hand cautiously gripping his unsheathed katana, he lowered his voice just a little, "I have no desire to take this ship. However, I believe we must let these men live, let them tell their tale, let them report back that the pirate, Jack Sparrow, had mercy on them!" Leo smiled, "It will make a fine entry in any history book!"

"T'HELL with HISTORY! BUT LET 'EM LIVE? GIVE 'EM MERCY?" Jack snorted loudly and the roar of equal shock reverberated from his men below seemed to give support.

Defining shouts of "**we deserve spoils of war**!" and "**gut these spineless turtles 'fore we gut YOU Captain!**" replaced their earlier exclamations of victory.

Suddenly, Leonardo worried that the pirates would turn on him and his brothers. It was obvious to Leo that none of Jack's men approved of his idea. Even Leonardo's brothers seemed struck by his request, their own vocal protests saying much with how the curse was affecting them.

Suddenly, Leo noticed Donatello's expression change. It was almost as if his brother was having a contrary thought from what he was thinking a second ago. Don paused for a moment and then he turned to Raphael and said something. Though Leo could not tell what exactly, considering his hotheaded brother's response - which was to grab Don by the throat and raise one sai up in threat - Leo was certain that Don had indeed realized the same thing that he had. Mike joined in with the argument between his two brothers, as well, apparently taking Raphael's side in the matter. With all three now shouting at each other, it was the most surrealist scene Leonardo had ever witnessed. Usually Mike was one to discourage arguments, joking around, getting Raphael's attention on him and away from his antagonist. Yet, there he was, shouting into Donatello's face, shaking his chucks in threat, his expression contorting in anger and in the same way as Raphael.

"_Incredible!_" Leo muttered softly.

For the moment and ignoring his family's own dissention, Leo addressed Jack, again, "Captain, the curse is motivating you to do this. You have to see that. I can't believe you would simply murder these men, especially since their ship is out of commission." He pressed the issue further, his eyes pleading, "PLEASE…leave the frigate alone, don't kill her crew. We have more important issues to consider. We need to find the Aztecs, remember? Considering the damage to their ship, the British can't follow us anyway!"

Jack stood there staring at the reptile, his face a mixture of confusion and indecision. He looked down at his crew and suddenly, he saw the all too-familiar 'crazed look', the very expression that Barbossa and his men had on their faces, back not long ago when Sparrow was not so afflicted. Even Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner had greedy sneers gracing their lips. Jack studied the girl again, noting her expression had somehow made the wench seem even more ominous.

Shivering slightly and grimacing, the pirate captain turned to Leonardo, "All right, turtle, we'll do it your way." Jack then turned to his crew, yelling loudly, "I HAVE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART. IN A SHOW OF MERCY, WE WILL LEAVE THIS SHIP AND ITS CREW INTACT AND CONTINUE OUR QUEST TO RETURN THE GO…" A sudden touch to his shoulder by Gibbs, however, told the captain to temper his information, "Ah…right, Mr. Gibbs…thank you." Jack again turned to the men, "TO RETURN THAT WHICH…UM…which ah…"

"_Belongs t'someone else, Captain?_" Gibbs whispered his assist.

"Aye, yes, Mr. Gibbs…SOMEONE ELSE!" Jack grinned wide, with one finger raised high in proclamation, as if he had made a fantastic announcement.

His men stared back, though, completely surprised, if not confused, by their captain's sudden change in plans.

Finally, one pirate dared to ask, "But…WHAT ABOUT PILLAGING. WE'RE PIRATES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, RIGHT?"

Jack thought quickly and replied, "The Falcon's captain said there isn't anything to pillage, but…" and for a moment, he didn't know what to tell them, since he really didn't know if the vessel had anything at all worthy of taking.

Before he had a chance to worry about that, a rather distinctive voice called out from below, "Is there any rum?"

Jack looked down and discovered, much to his amusement, that it had been…Elizabeth. He smiled wide, "I'm sure there is, Ms. Swann…" and the pirate addressed the Falcon's commander, Captain Williamson, held fast by Will Turner, "So, Captain, do ye have any rum?"

At first, Williamson refused to answer, but a hard scuff to the back of his head by a pirate standing next to him encouraged a reply, "Aye…**two** barrels."

Jack raised his pistol in declaration, his voice loud and bright, "WILL TWO BARRELS O'RUM SATSIFY YE?"

A chorus of cheers drifted over the deck, the men's lust for more valuable treasure forgotten in lieu of grog.

"So, Captain, what do we do w'the Brits?"

"Indeed, Mr. Gibbs." Jack then addressed the turtle standing next to him, "Since it's your idea, what say you, reptile?"

"I say we tie them up to give us enough time to set sail and distance ourselves before they can regroup." He glanced around at the condition of the ship, "Considering the damage, they have a couple days worth of repairs to do, anyway, and by the time they set sail again, we'll be too far away for them to catch us."

"You sure you've never pirated before?" Jack grinned, rather pleased with Leonardo's foresight.

"I may never have pirated, but I have fought before and I can recognize an advantage when I see one!" Leonardo then pointed to his brothers below on deck, as he offered, "Let my brothers and me do the tying. We know a trick or two about knots – other than nautical ones - that can guarantee that these men will not free themselves too quickly."

Jack studied the mutant and, seeing nothing but sincerity, "Okay, reptile, you and your brothers do your part, we'll do ours."

As some of his men went to collect the barrels of rum from the hold, Leo and his brothers went about their task of tying up the enemy. They made sure not to tie so tightly that the men couldn't free themselves, but it would definitely take them a while to undo the knots, that much was certain. At most, it would take them only an hour for the most dexterous, but by then the Pearl would be well on her way. Just the same, with as much damage that the frigate suffered, the soldiers would have their work cut out for them with repairing the ship well enough to set sail. Resuming their hunt for the Black Pearl would not be their first task, but getting back to port would be their number one priority, if only to gather reinforcement.

In either event, the pirates returned to the Black Pearl, some reluctantly, and those men grabbed what weapons they could, if only to bolster their own armament. Some also took errant bits of destruction, just to appease whatever lingered of their lustful need to loot, but most left the HMS Falcon empty-handed, save for the barrels of rum. There was much rejoicing over it, too, as if that alone would be enough to satisfy their longings.

Of course, getting drunk would be impossible, considering the curse, but Jack knew the anticipation was at least half the fun in the trying. Then again, once the men finally realized the truth, there'd be a bit of a row between him and them. Nevertheless, the pirate captain would gladly accept that over trying to convince them to leave empty handed. That alone would have been impossible.

Now, as the Pearl sailed away from the HMS Falcon and as his men and the turtles went about fixing whatever damage they found on the Pearl, Jack kept the ship on course. He stood proudly at the helm, thinking, and brooding. Despite his victory (and the cache of rum), he seemed unfulfilled.

He took one last long look at the stricken HMS Falcon behind him and realized why he felt so glum.

Mumbling under his breath, Jack lamented, "An' I was so lookin' forward to pillagin'. Stupid turtle and his stupid honor. What's with that, anyway?"

Jack harrumphed sullenly and returned his gaze to his horizon. He shrugged nonchalantly, then, "Well, at least we'll have the extra rum to celebrate with, once we get the bloody curse removed!"

Just thinking about tasting his beloved grog again finally improved his mood and, once more, Jack Sparrow grinned wide, his gold teeth glinting in agreement, "Yo ho, yo ho, tis a pirate's life fer me!"

Xxxxxx

_A/N: Yes, that last line was corny, but…I had to use it somewhere, yes? LOL_


	27. What, Are Ye Daft?

_**Disclaimer:**__ Yes, no I don't own them. One more chapter dusted off and uploaded for my faithful readers. Can't remember if this was part of the original chapter 25, but I know I've added LOTS to it, so hopefully it won't read too repetitively. Funny thing about a hiatus, it gives you time to think about subplots without the pressure of having to write. :0)_

_The italicized part is a flashback scene. All others between _normal_ font style are thoughts. _

_Enough said. Enjoy!_

xxxxxx

**Chapter 27 – WHAT…ARE YOU DAFT? **

As the Pearl sailed away, leaving in her wake a smoldering and beaten enemy, a lone turtle stood atop the poop deck. With arms at his side, Leonardo bowed his head towards the stricken HMS Falcon, now almost out of sight. He thought long and hard about what had happened. The ship was small, now, barely noticeable against the darkening, northeastern horizon, but Leo knew that a frenzied and desperate crew raced about the British decks. Likewise, his own brothers were helping the pirate crew tighten the Pearl's canvas for quicker sailing, not wanting to linger too long in the area. It was a given that another British frigate could be in the area, patrolling the waters in the same way as the Falcon had. The ominous cloud of smoke coming from the beleaguered ship would be all its contemporaries would need to know that something was amiss and it would be their task to investigate it, too. Of course, the Pearl had her own cloud, an ever-present billowing fog that followed her, but it was as obvious a sign as the black cloud rising about the Falcon that spoke of something 'different' and 'strange'.

Meanwhile, as Jack's crew worked to distance the Pearl from the scene of battle, the pirate captain steered the vessel southwest.

High above the man on the upper deck and offering one more long look towards the British, Leonardo finally mumbled a Japanese prayer Splinter had taught him years ago, for such a time when and if he ever killed an innocent. As far as Leo was concerned, the Falcon's crewmen were innocent, where the curse did not protect them. Of course, he knew it was impossible to prevent any deaths at all, considering the circumstances, and because of that, the turtle forgave himself…and his brothers. Still, this did not diminish his grief. Leo understood that with her sails torn and the pilot's wheel decimated by cannon fire, the HMS Falcon could do nothing more than drift in the warm Caribbean waters. She was, as they say, a 'sitting duck' for other pirates.

Earlier, and, just as Leo predicted, her crew had freed themselves quickly before the Pearl slipped too far away. With his keen eyesight, he had seen the youth free himself of the ropes first…and Leo couldn't help but smile. Mikey had been the one to tie up the lad, so he probably didn't tie the boy too tightly, fearing injuring him. Or, maybe Mike figured the boy wouldn't have the dexterity to free the others too quickly and, so, made sure the young man would be first to undo his binds.

Either way, the Pearl had been a quarter mile out before the child freed himself and it didn't take long for him to do likewise to one of the officers. Then, it only took a short while before all hands were running about, fixing the damaged ship.

Leonardo figured it would take them many days to have their vessel repaired well enough to set sail again. Maybe they would even give chase, but he doubted it. No, Leo was certain that Captain Williamson would head back to port for further repairs and, while there, most likely alert the authorities for reinforcements. Then, the British would once again give chase against the Black Pearl. It would be a moot point, of course, since the Pearl already had a sizable head start. In the vastness of the Caribbean Sea, it would be difficult to find her, but once anchored off whatever coast or island Jack's compass led them to would eventually make the Pearl an easy target. Leo hoped, of course, that if that happened, by then he and his brothers would have found a way back home again.

He groaned, suddenly, remembering the fight, remembering how close he came to relinquishing his hold on his self-control, of giving in to his lust for blood. Yes, he had done well, thwarting the need to kill, and keeping his brothers to their honor-bound ways by helping to save as many of the British soldiers as was possible. It was after the fact, after they had boarded the frigate, when he – and they - had tasted the other insatiable part of the curse, the need to satiate a ravishing greed. It had certainly blindsided him. It came totally unexpected. Leonardo never thought he would ever experience such a consuming lust before. It was certainly not only a lesson with how strong the curse was, but it also reminded him just how valuable Splinter's training and lessons were. He made a promise to himself right then to be watchful for any other misguided and curse-induced 'feelings' or 'inklings'.

As Leonardo continued watching the slowly darkening horizon, below him at the helm, Jack Sparrow guided the ship. The turtle heard the man mumble under his breath and Leo smiled, _"Ah, Captain Sparrow, tis indeed a hard thing to do, to be kind and merciful when it's not necessary to be cruel."_

Then again, it wasn't because of leaving the frigate intact that bedeviled the man. No, it was something much more contentious than that. Smiling, Leo allowed the pirate to fume unchallenged, knowing it was better than not hearing anything from the man at all. Leonardo had learned long ago that a silent rage was a dangerous one and thoughts of his brother, Raphael, came to mind. As his keen hearing allowed him to eavesdrop on the captain's continuing litany of complaints, he smiled.

"T'was bad enough to have that retched beast talk me out of me rightful pillagin'," Jack huffed indignantly and cursed under his breath. With one hand on the wheel, the other grasping his compass, "but…" he growled, "givin' one o'me **longboats** t'th'British scum…an' without **permiss'n**…should warrant a guttin."

Yes, indeed, Leonardo would long remember the confrontation, Sparrow going red-faced, as he challenged the turtle's request...

"_**WHAT D'YA JUST DO, YOU INSEPID INFIDEL? ARE YOU DAFT?" **_

_The reptile's latest suggestion seemed to be the final straw for the man and one where the captain had been prepared to rally his crew and toss the four mutants overboard. Jack would have, too, but he had had a niggling feeling the turtles wouldn't dismiss so easily, not with how well they fought against the British. It only added weight to his concerns…and fearing another mutiny if he pressed any issue that challenged Leonardo's sense of honor. So, Sparrow held himself in check, but he did allow himself the pleasure of complaining about it. And, unsurprisingly, Leonardo had a well-planned reply, too._

"_No, Captain, I am not daft," Leo countered confidently, all while his brothers stood guard between him and the crew crowding around the confrontation, "but those men over there were only following orders, much like your own men." Leo waved one arm to include the motley collection of buccaneer sailors that surrounded him and Jack. For a moment, their discontent stilled, apparently fascinated with the mutant's reasoning. The turtle continued his explanation, "Their own longboats are destroyed, Captain, and if there is more damage to their ship and it sinks, they'll need something to keep them from drowning."_

"_They all knows the risks of goin' t'battle, turtle!" Jack had spat, "as do me men. It's just simple facts and ones the lot of us has accepted from the get go."_

_As the men audibly agreed with their captain, Leo persisted, "Still, they probably have families back home. Offering them a bit of help, along with knowing you stopped short of destroying them, they will remember your kind deed long after this day!" _

_A few of Jack's men nodded in mild agreement, apparently switching sides. The talked amongst themselves, some wiping tears as they thought about their own families left behind. Smiling, Leo cocked one eye ridge, and added, "And…they may even sing songs about you!"_

_Now, some of the crew became excited, intrigued with such an outcome. Sparrow, too, seemed mildly interested. For a moment, a wistful expression crossed his face, but it was only for a moment. After all, the Black Pearl was still his ship, which meant her longboats belonged to him, too. For this interfering reptile to take things into his own hands by giving said property to the enemy (which was a first for any pirate ship, everyone readily agreed), was a sin justifying a flogging, if not a keelhauling._

_Jack quickly recovered from his thoughtful moment, "Takin' their rum probably angered'em more than a boat would appease. I don't thinks they will consider it square, laddie. I knows I wouldn't!" Sparrow wagged a finger in Leo's face, 'Sides, I've worked long 'n hard on creatin' a cutthroat rep'tation," to which a chorus of affirmed 'ayes' rang out from his crew, "but this 'kind deed' ye did will put ALL o'tha'inta'QUESTION!" More noisy confirmations came from the men as they stood behind their captain._

_Leo replied softly in rebuttal, "They're only MEN, Captain Sparrow, and if honorable men, they now know that you chose not to destroy them."_

"_You gave the boat, lad, but I took their rum! And in these parts, Mister Leonardo," Sparrow narrowed his eyes in threat, "ye don't take another man's rum. 'Sides, there be many versions of what ye call 'honorable'." _

_Still more "ayes" and "right ye are 'bout that, Cap'n," sang out from the crew, bolstering Jack Sparrow's position. He stood a bit straighter, a wry smile to his lips._

"_Yes, I know," Leo countered, giving the captain a critical look, lowering his own voice in warning, "But I will NOT take part in murder, no matter what!" _

_His final remark seemed to quell the crew's hot and heady support for Jack. To have this creature boldly title their thwarted plans of mayhem with its correct definition seemed a bit more transparent than to what they were accustomed. Curse or no, quirky terms were an easy way to describe the ugly aspect of piratedom, but to hear the very word that said it best seemed to quench the conflict. Ultimately, the idea of flogging or keelhauling Leonardo waned in popularity. After all, the purpose behind their sailing was in returning the gold it to its rightful owners. Running into a battle hadn't been on their agenda. _

"_Cap'n," Gibbs slipped up next to Jack, "don't ferget, we have a mission, a quest, that's more urgent than arguin' over one longboat. I fer one would gladly give th'British both…" to which Gibbs cringed as Jack shot him a withering, warning glance, so he hurriedly explained, "if it means we gets t'where we needs t'be in order t'give the gold back…and relieve us all of this blasted curse! Yes?"_

_Jack stared at the man, his mind conflicting between what he wanted to do and what he needed to do. His eyes blazed dangerously from his contempt over losing anything that he deemed his, but eventually, the weight of Gibbs words proved more truthful that irritating. _

_Finally, "Indeed, Mr. Gibbs, the curse tis a bothersome tic, is it not?" Jack grimaced sourly, "I so miss…__**tasting**__ food – and other experiences," he glanced over at Elizabeth, who narrowed her own expression in warning. He sighed, then, and shrugged, "Well, then," he turned back to Leonardo, "I will forgives ya this one offense, turtle, but next time – do me a favor," he smiled a little, "confer with me first before 'donating' any further property that belongs t'me. Savvy?"_

_Leo inclined his head just a little, "I will, Captain."_

_Soon after, the men had dispersed to go about their duties, doing whatever it was that would speed the Pearl to their destination, with __Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello assisting where they could. As Sparrow resumed his position behind the helm, Leonardo retired to the poop deck for what he said would be a time of contemplation, promising his brothers that he would join them soon enough. _

Now, well after the confrontation and his prayer, Leo remained atop the highest deck, staring after the HMS Falcon, now just a speck along the horizon. When he could no longer see the frigate, due both to distance and the graduating dark, Leo rejoined Sparrow at the helm.

The two stood at the wheel, side by side, with Jack steering and Leo watching the horizon. Leonardo saw how he and Sparrow were similar in many ways, two leaders, yet two vastly different individuals, with an equally distinct set of standards and life experiences. The same, but different. Apples and oranges, Leonardo thought. He swallowed dryly, then, quickly dismissing his analogy, as it conjured up a hunger he knew he could not satisfy.

Taking advantage of Leonardo's close proximity, Jack launched into yet another complaint about the mutant's charitable 'gift'.

"Good deed or no, I cannaw understand why you did that," the pirate whined on, "What if we finds ourselves needin' tha' _**boat**__?_"

"Curse, remember?" Leo grinned as he stood beside the captain. While Jack sneered at him, the turtle continued, "Remember, I'm just trying to improve your reputation."

"I does well enough on me own, I tolds ye that!" Jack snapped, looking straightaway at his horizon again, his chin tilted in defiance, "But if we go t'ground, I'm holdin' ye responsible."

"If we go to ground, Captain, it won't be because of me. Remember, you're the one steering!" Leo chuckled and took in a deep breath of salted air.

Jack gave the mutant a sideways glance, "Bugger all, yer a crafty one, tha's fer sure."

"So I'm told." Leo was silent for a moment as he stood next to Jack. The late afternoon was nearing its last few moments and the first stars winked on in the east, announcing the coming evening. As the sun touched its watery horizon, a salt-laden breeze came up, blowing over the Pearl, and whipping about the ninja's bandanna tails. While the ship cut through the ocean, the turtle stood firm, riding the deck like an experienced sailor, while the Pearl undulated with the waves. He breathed in deeply, again, but it didn't give him the kind of relief he would have normally felt. For a moment, Leonardo remembered the curse anew.

Sighing, Leo turned to the pirate, asking, "So, Captain, do you know where we're heading?"

"Of course. I'm the captain." Jack stood a bit straighter, holding his head a tad higher, his chin thrust slightly forward, as if posturing himself in this way would prove his words.

"What I mean, Captain, do you know where to find these Aztecs?"

"Oh, that. Well..." Jack hitched one shoulder in a half-shrug and he cocked his head a little, "...tha's diff'rent. I sort of know where t'go t'get t'where we needs t'be…in order t'find 'em. It's kind of an…_instincts_ thing."

"Do you have a map?"

Jack smiled at the mutant's simple question and held up his compass in such a way so that Leo could see the inside. With its top flipped back to expose the navigational card, the needle pointed oddly towards the southwestern horizon. "I have's this and it'll get us t'where we needs t'be, mark me words."

Leo stared curiously at the device. There was something odd about this compass, but he ignored it for the moment to ask the pirate, "How can a simple compass tell us where to find a group of people. It's suppose to tell you which direction to go, not who to find. Compasses operate on the magnetic pull of the north…"

Jack shook his head impatiently, declaring as he interrupted the turtle, "My heart, laddie. It's akin to m'heart and any desires I may'ave…and…I desires t'find these Aztecs, t'return their accursed gold."

"And once we do that…we'll be free of the curse?"

"Sort of."

"Ah…wh - what do you mean, sort of?"

Sparrow cocked his head coyly and gave a toothy grin to the turtle, gold teeth glinting in the late afternoon sun, "There be a bit of condition to…liftin' this accursed curse. Some…_things_ have t'be offered first…willingly, or not, but offered they needs t'be or we stays cursed…forever."

"Then, we do what we must to break the curse, correct?"

Jack Sparrow beamed brightly, "Laddie, if tha'is yer mindset, then y'ave made me task of returnin' the gold much more easier." He gave a slight bow of his head and turned a smiling face towards his horizon once more, "But, given what I knows of this – _curse_," he gave a sideways glance to the turtle, "…y'best be makin' sure your brethren align themselves with our task."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Captain," Leo smiled eagerly, "we all want to return to our normal, mortal selves and find our way back home. Mike especially. He's never felt so lost without food." Leo chuckled a bit, but then he went serious again, "Only, I don't know how to _find_ our way back home once we return your gold."

Jack glanced at the turtle and gave a sympathetic grin, "Maybe if I lets you hold me compass a while…" but then he seemed to change his mind with his next set of words, pulling the device close to his breast again, "Ah, but naw'until after we find th'Aztecs, of course."

"Of course, Captain, that _**is**_ our first priority."

"Me thoughts exactly!" Jack grinned wider.

"Well, I think I'll go down to join my brothers. I'm sure I can help in some way besides keep you company. I'll leave you to your task, Captain." Leo turned towards the stairs, but then gave a look back over his shoulder at the pirate, "And thank-you, again, for not leaving Mike behind."

Sparrow sniffed indignantly and then smiled, "Ye didn't give me much choice, laddie, but – as it turned out – I'm glad I did. Yer brother…is far more than a th'waister we thought he was. Proved hisself in th'fight, he did."

Leo smiled softly as he said, "He'll be glad to know that," and then the turtle slipped down the steps to the deck below.

As he watched the turtle rejoin his brothers and the rest of the crew, Sparrow silently steered the ship. He had to wonder if New York township was truly the reptiles' home. How could such beings as walking, talking turtles, and whose fighting skills were far more effective than any he had seen so far, call New Amsterdam home with not a rumor or legend preceding them? It had been a question nagging the captain ever since they explained their existence way back on that suffering island. Certainly if a witch had cursed them, the magistrates back in New York would have knowledge of her. Certainly, they would have brought this sorceress to justice, or…maybe there wasn't any witch at all?

That was when Jack's breath hitched with sudden alarm. Did not turtles in general live in and near water? Maybe these four were sea turtles at one time? Possibly these beasties were in league with Neptune himself, just as the pirate had first theorized, and if so, then Calypso would most likely know of them, too.

This bit of understanding did not fill Jack with much enthusiasm or confidence. Given what the Brethren Court did to the 'lady of the sea', and even though the wench no longer patrolled these waters, Tia Dama might still have ways to fulfill her need for revenge. That is, if she even thought Jack had taken part in her sticky situation.

"_Maybe these beasties will do t'us as Neptune hisself does to sailors tossed overboard. Turn us all into porpoises…"_ and the pirate's eyes widened further with his next thought, _"…or, maybe turn us into_ sea turtles?"

That idea had him just a bit spooked. Knowing the kind of delicacy such creatures offered sailors, sailors such as his men, Jack imagined himself harpooned and made into salamagundi stew. Of course, none of this would happen until after he satisfied the antidote to the curse. Regardless, this did not sit well with Captain Sparrow. It seemed far worse than his other concerns of losing a longboat. He shuddered, then, imagining the horror. Suddenly, Jack realized his only redeeming act might be to help these creatures find their way home after all. In fact, maybe that was the test; he had to show – _compassion_!

Jack made a sour face and clicked his tongue in disgust, reacting as one would to sucking a lemon. He spat and then inhaled the salted air. It seemed to clear his head a bit, but he had to admit, "Can't make a habit of tha'one, tha's for sure. But, maybe just this once, I can be…charitable."

The more Jack thought about it, the more he was certain that this was indeed a test. This kindness thing was something he had to prove. Given the fact that Leonardo said as much with regards to the Pearl's rowboat, now in the hands of the British navy, it was more likely true than not.

"_Hmm…possibly doing these few measly acts might free meself of me _other_ transgressions…and commitments_," Jack mused and he couldn't help but smile deviously, "_Couldn't hurt, that's for sure_."

With that thought, he decided he would take into consideration any further suggestions from the turtle Leonardo. It might very well appease the gods and possibly satisfy his other problem, a concern he knew would come upon him soon enough. It was one that could – if not all went well – condemn him to scour the seas forever in search of doomed sailors. He shuddered involuntarily just thinking about it and glanced quickly at the palm of his hand, almost expectant.

Just as it had for the past twelve and half years, his hand showed clean of any black spot. He smiled in relief and let out a long, breathy sigh, taking in his horizon once again. Tightening his hold on the wheel, Jack gave a quick glance at his compass, to get his bearings, and turned the wheel westward a bit more. With his hexed device in hand, the battle done and over with, and still no black spot to beleaguer him, Jack Sparrow settled in for the long night ahead.

x x x x x

**TBC**


	28. Land HO!

**Disclaimer – **_Yes, another onr. Go me. Anyway, j__ust a 'little' chapter to keep the interest going. I'm still struggling with writer's block and life became – more interesting for a while there, when my husband was out of work for 6 weeks. Laid off; first time, too! But, he's back working again – hopefully for good, and so I thought I'd brush this chapter off and upload it. If you find any inconsistencies, please don't hesitate to tell me. After all this time, I might lose a few facts here and there. :0)_

_This was a hard chapter to write, for some reason; maybe because I'm rounding the 'far turn' of this story, heading for the home stretch (though I still have a few chapters to go before that happens). Ending a story is just as important – if not more so – than starting one. There has to be a sizable penultimate event to tighten the tale, so to speak, so I have to build up to it. When I finally tag this with an epilogue, it will end the story in the right way (I hope). Ah, the woes of writing. To appease not only my anal-retentive perfectionist self, but the eager expectations of my loyal readers. I write for you, yes, though I write for me, too. Nevertheless, without your indulgence and faithful attention, I would have very little enthusiasm to create! Thank you._

**Chapter 28 – Land HO!**

**xxxxx**

If Mike wasn't bored, then he was restless, and if he wasn't restless, then he was a nuisance with his brothers and the crew.

And if he wasn't a nuisance, then he just wasn't having any fun, which meant he was bored, which would give way to his restlessness, which would…

Well, at least Mike had established some sort of routine.

Nevertheless, after the 'fun' of dueling with swashbuckling sailors, dashed once again were his dreams of what it would be like to sail the open sea.

_Seriously_, Mike lamented, _these guys need some sort of hobby, other than swapping freaking ghost stories or talkin' about the best way t'gut…sea turtles. And what in blazes IS a salamander stew?_

Maybe that wasn't quite the right name of the stew. Still, the thought of eating anything that had turtle in, regardless of genus, nearly made Mike sick, if not for the curse. Even the name of the stew sounded horrible, yet Mike was certain the pirates only wanted to annoy him. Of course, none of the men would dare say as much in front of Raph or Leo – or even Don, but whenever Mike found himself alone with the crew, they would launch into their best description with how to 'de-shell' a leatherback.

Of course, Mike probably brought all of this on himself. Until the comment he made almost a week following his first sea battle, the men actually held him in high regard. Mostly because of the way in which Mike fought the British. He had redeemed himself fully, in fact, enjoying pats on the back and kind words of praise…well, as kind as any pirate could muster.

Still, it only took about a week following the fight for Mike to become bored all over again.

At first, he tried distracting himself by watching porpoise keep pace with the ship, as he had done prior to meeting up with the British. This time he secured himself to the bowsprit with a line attached to his belt, just in case Jack felt a need to turn the Pearl about, as he had a few days earlier. Sometimes Mikey would even see a whale from that vantage point. That always made him cheer, although none of the crew could quite figure out why anyone would get so excited. It's not like they were in the whaling business.

On a few occasions, Mike even caught sight of sharks breeching the water as they chased their prey to the surface. Some of the menacing fish were quite large and made Mike glad he was in safekeeping on the Black Pearl. Maybe the sharks couldn't hurt him, but they were certainly scary enough to cause him to forget he was cursed and impervious to harm.

Mikey tried hard to keep himself occupied, he really did, but he couldn't help feeling constrained and sorely restricted with his limited activities. Even the katas that Leo had Mike and his brothers do seemed exciting; that's how bored the poor turtle was. Two hours in the morning and the same set in the evening. Mike was actually beginning to look forward to them.

"Man, we better hit land before I start turning into Leo!"

Then, for a few days, Mike tried to see how fast he could climb the masts, or how much time it would take to run the entire circumference of the Pearl, but it did little to distract him from the long, boring voyage. He soon realized that one can only do stuff like that so many times before it gets really old, really fast.

And, so, nearly two weeks after the fight with the British, Mike found himself one day wandering up to where Jack piloted the Pearl. As the turtle leaned against the railing while the pirate kept the Pearl on her course, Michelangelo absentmindedly, made an ill-timed – and poorly worded – remark. It was an innocent mumble, really, mostly Mikey thinking out-loud. Never a good thing to do, his brothers would say.

"How much longer is this gonna take?" Mike whined, "I mean there _**has**_ to be an island somewhere, right?" he waved his arms around for emphasis, "There's nothing to do here, other than swabbing decks or tightening sails. Seriously, how many times can you do that anyway?" Mike sighed loudly, "There's isn't even a rec hall. Personally, this ship's… _**too**_ small! There's nowhere to run, nothin' t'do. It's givin' me claustro…!" and then, suddenly, Mike found the business end of Jack's gun pressed into his nose.

"Ye take it back, laddie. M'ship isn't small; it's quite large fer a pirate ship and fast, too, even without th'curse." Jack didn't know what claustrophobia was, of course, but just hearing someone call the Pearl 'small' didn't help Mike's situation. In fact, Jack took great offense to the turtle's words.

"B…but, compared to **land**…" Mike tried to explain.

"Mind yer words, mate, or you'll be breathin' through yer ear-holes!"

Mike gulped and apologized, but it did little to appease his now defunct reputation, "Sorry, I'm just – used to more room, is all, and…"

"Not another word, lad!" Jack hissed.

Mike's faux pas would have remained with just the Captain, too, but Gibbs had overhead the idle comment, where he had been working just above, tightening a sail. Inevitably, word got around. Once the rest of the men heard about it, Mike's reputation went belly-up...again.

Forgotten, now, were his exploits against the British. All the men cared about was the insulting remark the turtle made about the Pearl – and to the captain, no less! The men began treating him as if he didn't exist or, if they had to address him, they punctuated their words with insults. And, of course, they took every advantage to explain once again the delicate technique to making salamagundi stew.

_So THAT's what it's called_, Mikey thought, somewhat mollified with the correction. _At least it doesn't include salamanders – or newts, for that matter,_ he sighed in relief.

For a while after that, Mike sequestered himself down in the captain's quarters and out of sight from the crew. He sat at the large window at the back and watched the wake the Black Pearl made as she sliced through the sea. The water frothed and tumbled and a few porpoise 'bathed' in the foamy substance, playing with the turbulent backwash. Mike smiled for a moment and then overheard the captain shout orders from outside, above him. He hoped it would be about finding land, but – nope – it was all about getting as much speed from 'them sails' as possible. Mikey sighed again and rested his arms along the sill. He had half a mind to toss himself to sea, again, but given his current relationship with the captain and the crew, they probably wouldn't bother to rescue him.

Suddenly, a noise from behind caused Mike to sit straight up and turn around, but when he saw it was only Raphael coming through the doorway, he relaxed.

"Hey, what're ya doin' in here, Mike?"

Mike shrugged, "Nothin'."

"Seriously, bro, you'd rather be in here than out there with th'fresh air?" Raph pointed towards the door and then he sniffed, "I mean, with no restrooms and showers on this boat, this place stinks worse than th'sewers back home."

Mike chuckled halfheartedly and then turned back around to stare out the window again. He didn't flinch as Raph came up behind him and place a hand on his left shoulder. He felt his brother squeeze his shoulder, as Raph said, "Um, bro…it's all right, you know. I can't wait to be on land again myself!" he admitted quietly, "I've had enough of bein' at sea. I've been gettin' as 'stir crazy' as an electric mixer on steroids!"

"Yeah, but tell that to Jack and see where it gets you!"

"Hey, you insulted his ship!"

"I was stating the truth." Mike sighed again.

"And the truth is, Mikey, there's not much to compare the Pearl to, so as far as Jack and this crew are concerned…she _is_ a big ship."

"Now you're starting to sound just like Donnie!" Mike suddenly grinned, only to get his head smacked in return, "OW!"

"Hey, now yer insultin' me!" Raph laughed, "But seriously, you're th'comic relief around here. I mean, I've treated you worse than these guys have and you've always bounced back."

Mike's smile faded a bit, "Yeah, but this time it's different somehow. Maybe…it's the curse, or…maybe it's knowin' we might never see Sensei again, get back home, ya know?"

"Don will get us back, Mike. You can be sure of that."

"How can you be so sure? I mean, it's strange enough how we got here!" Mike's eyes became teary then, "I'm so homesick, Raphie. All of this has been a great adventure, but I'm ready to go home. I'd do anything right now to get us all home." He sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. But, we need t'make the best of it; that is...until we know for certain." Raph quickly smiled, "Hey…at least we don't have an overpopulated world to deal with. I'm sure if we have to stay here in this timeline Sparrow might know of a deserted island or maybe he can even drop us off somewhere near Florida."

Giving a half shrug, Mike turned back to stare out the window again, "Whatever. I just…what to walk on solid land again and not feel like I'm walking like I'm half-drunk all the time."

**xxxxx**

Two days later, Mike once again found himself positioned on the bowsprit while the rest of the crew worked the sails, tightened lines, and did whatever they did to keep the Pearl running smoothly. The crew had eased up on harassing him, too, so Mike tried to enjoy his time outside as much as he could. But, he still did his best to stay out of everyone's way.

It was forenoon when, suddenly, a shout from above grabbed everyone's attention. Giving a long punctuation for each word, the lookout in the crow's nest called, "LAAAAND HO!"

A thrill filled Mike like no other. Considering how the curse had dampened any kind of excitement, it felt almost intoxicating. With his own enthusiasm nearly off the charts, the moment he heard the shout, he had to see for himself. He untied himself from the bowsprit, worked his way back onto the ship, and then raced down the upper deck to the lower one, making for the main mast. Quickly shimmying up the tall pole, the moment Mike reached the top, he looked all over, finally settling on the southwestern horizon. That was when he saw the wondrous site of trees and mountains along its edge.

Cheering wildly, he nearly fell from his perch. Quickly rebalancinghimself on the yardarm, Mike yelled down to his brothers below.

"HEY, GUYS, HE'S RIGHT…THERE'S LAND! I CAN SEE TREES AND MOUNTAINS AND AND…LAND!" and then he almost fell off the yardarm, again, but he caught himself just in time, grabbing one of the lines. In his exuberance, Mike took out a chuck and slapped it over the line leading to deck. Yodeling like the exuberant turtle he was and hanging onto both sticks, Mike quickly slid all the way down to deck, bouncing off the railing with his feet and doing a neat flip to stand next to his brothers.

"I take it there's land ahead?" Don asked, smiling at his little brother.

"Yep!" Mike grinned brightly, "Lots of it, too!" and nearly giggled hysterically with pent up excitement.

Despite everyone's anxiousness to reach land, it took a couple of hours to reach the shoreline. Mike positioned himself on the bowsprit again, determined to watch as the island – or continent – grew in size. His grin grew just as big, too, as the horizon filled with trees and mountainous jungle. They anchored the Pearl about a couple hundred yards out, far enough to keep the boat afloat and not have to row very far to the beach. Considering the uncertainty of how long their next leg of the trip would take, three of the crew whom Jack trusted most – other than Mr. Gibbs – would remain behind with the Pearl. After all, other pirates – and especially the British – patrolled these parts. It would have been unwise to leave the ship so vulnerable, not that three crewmen could defend the Pearl – or even sail her - but it was better than leaving her without any crew at all.

And, of course, the cursed condition of both ship and man would be in their favor.

Jack had wanted Elizabeth to stay behind, but she insisted otherwise. "I will not leave myself to the whims of your – men, Captain, curse of no! And I will not put my Will into the position of guarding my honor, either. So, I will go with you…or," and here she smiled coyly, "if you force my hand to stay behind, I will toss ALL of your rum!"

Jack knew then that he had lost the argument.

The first couple of trips involved getting most of the crew to shore. Despite Jack's insistence and one sibling's complaint, Leo decided that he and his brothers would be last to leave the ship.

"Why can't we be first, bro? Why, why, why, huh? Com'on, Leo, have a heart for cry'n out loud!" Mikey whined, pouting unhappily.

"Trust me, Mike, okay?" Leo whispered.

"But, Leo…" and then Donnie eased up next to him and spoke softly to Mikey, taking care that the pirate captain would not overhear him.

"You want Jack to leave us marooned? He could do that, Mike, that is...if we go first. He could betray us - and his men - just to take the gold, and leave us here, while he sails off to his real destination, that is if this one is just a decoy."

"But, I thought he…"

"The GOLD, Mike, is cursed, remember? Don't you feel like keeping it to yourself?" Don raised one eye ridge.

Mike was silent for a moment, mulling over what Donnie had said. Finally and unhappily, he crossed his arms in petulance, harrumphing, "Okay, fine, we go last."

After depositing the second round of men on the beach, they went about tying together several of the long ropes that they had brought with them to shore. Securing one end to the stern of the longboat, while those on land held the opposite end, one man rowed the boat back to the ship for the chest of gold. Using the boom and in the way that they did when they first brought the treasure on board from the island, Leo and his brothers helped the pirates carefully lower the chest into the longboat's belly. Once they had the treasure secured, they had Raphael and one of the crewman swim alongside to steady the boat, while those on the beach pulled the vessel to shore. Once they had the chest unloaded and on the sand, while Raphael waited with the others, his partner rowed back to get the Captain, the rest of the crew, along with Leo, Don, and Mikey.

As the longboat eased up to the Pearl, Jack watched its arrival from the upper deck. He sniffed once and reminded Leonardo again about his complaint, "Ya see that, laddie," he pointed, "how much quicker it would have been had we two boats? Taken too long t'get me men and th'gold t'shore, it is. Four trips it took, when it should have been two."

"Whatever, Captain, at least we have a boat," Leo replied, groaning, "At least we don't have to walk." He was getting rather tired of the Captain's whining.

"Nev'r th'less, it's impeded me task," and under his breath, Jack muttered, "Stupid turtle."

"Stubborn pirate," Leo muttered in reply.

"If ya weren't cursed already…" Jack patted the hilt of his cutlass and gave a threatening sidelong glance at the ninja.

"If YOU weren't cursed as well…" Leo turned a steady eye on the man and winked, not smiling, and then he blinked. "Um…sorry." _Golly_, he thought, _this curse really does a number on a person!_

"Whatever," and Jack pushed away from the bulwark to head over to the gap in the ship's railing, where below waited his one and only longboat. He glanced back over his shoulder at the turtle, "Either way, Mr. Leonardo, I've forgiven ya yer charity. Who knows, maybe I'll even have fewer men to worry about once were done with this lil' adventure." Jack smiled, "After all, when we lift this blasted curse, we'll have bigger problems to consider!"

"Why so?" Leo asked as he joined up with the captain.

"I heard…these Aztecs are cannibals!" The man grinned mischievously.

Leo's eyes widened slightly, but even though Jack turned his head away, there was a bit of a smile playing along the man's mouth. Leo was certain the captain was kidding, but there was also something else in the man's expression. As he climbed down the side of the Pearl and situated himself in the boat with Don and Mike, and the rest of the men going to shore, Leonardo knew that whatever awaited them, he and his brothers would deal with it; that is if it meant lifting the curse and finding their way back home. Leo would do anything, now, to make sure of it, too.

**xxxxxx**

**TBC**


	29. Paradise and Slimy Snakes

_**DISCLAIMER – **__Well, here's another update, especially for you Donnie fans. It ain't much, but I hope it appeases. Yep, don't own them – the turtles, not the update. I own that, at least. Enjoy!_

xxxxxx

**Chapter 29 - Paradise and Slimy Snakes**

It didn't take a genius to realize just how tired Michelangelo was of sea life. Before the oarsmen could even beach the longboat, Mike leapt over the side. He hit the water running, racing knee-deep, and splashing 'wet' in every direction. Although it slowed his momentum, the shallow inlet did little to dampen his enthusiasm.

Twenty yards later, Mike hit the shoreline. He fell to his knees, kissing the sand, and almost as quickly sputtered and spit the tiny grains from his mouth. Still, even this did not discourage him. He just laughed louder and flipped over onto his back, grabbing up fistfuls of sand, and tossing them into the air. Mikey giggled like a mad man. He didn't seem to mind as gravity prevailed, the gritty rain peppering him on its way back down. His smile widened further as he next tried to make the equivalent of a snow angel. No sooner had he started, the uncooperative sand fell into itself, ruining his artwork. It only encouraged him to make another one, of course, and – of course – the same thing happened as with the first time, which had him trying a third attempt, only more determinedly.

His legs and arms worked furiously, now, creating sprays of grit that went everywhere at once. Still, the sand prevailed, but Mikey laughed even louder, his joy unfettered.

"You're absolutely insane, Mike!" Raph chuckled, as he joined his little brother on shore. He stood over Michelangelo, looking down at his silly sibling, shaking his head in pity.

Mike just grinned up at him, declaring, "No contest there, bro."

As the captain and the rest of the crew joined everyone else on the beach, pulling the longboat up onto the sand, Sparrow grunted and addressed the turtle in blue, "Your brother is certainly an odd one!"

Leonardo nodded, "Yes, Captain, he is, but he is our brother and we wouldn't have him any other way."

"Ya sure 'bout that?" Gibbs had never seen anyone react so oddly with going to shore before.

"Mr. Gibbs, every family needs a member who can make everyone else smile, even if it is in pity," Don added, his own grin proving his point. He chuckled, watching his brother in orange continue his attempt to make 'sand' angels.

Tiring of his futile work with the uncooperative silica, Mike finally lay still. He closed his eyes and drank in a large lungful of air, a look of pure ecstasy on his smiling face. He remained where he was for a moment longer. Then, looking around beseechingly to anyone paying attention to him, Mike queried, "Hey, anyone have suntan oil, I feel a tan comin' on!"

Raph rolled his eyes, "You knucklehead," and reached down, grabbing Mike by the arm. Pulling his brother to his feet, Raphael laughed, "Okay, dimwit, fun time's over."

"Hey, I'm allowed!" Mike protested, wiping his mouth, and shrugging free of Raphael's grip.

"Yeah, whatevah, Mike. You can char yerself right afta we get that gold delivered!"

Grinning, "No, really…I feel darker already!" Mike insisted brightly, bringing his arms up to show Raphael, "See, you can't tell me that's not a tan!"

"You've been this green yer whole life."

"Yeah, but now I'm…I'm GREENER!" Mike declared brightly.

Jack quirked one side of his mouth, amused, and - for a moment - he, too, took in the beauty of the subtropical landscape. He turned where he stood and gazed back towards the jungle. Standing tall before him towered a near impenetrable line of majestic palms, the space in-between filled with low-lying brush, just as thick, but more varied in texture and color. Between jungle and shoreline, a wide spit of beach separated the green belt from the sea, as warm, moist breezes gently swayed the tall virgin and unspoiled trees. Although the jungle seemed peaceful, it most likely hid a myriad of dangers, too; of this, Jack was certain. He narrowed his eyes and studied the deeper shadows, anticipating something unexpected. He wondered…

_Natives, perhaps, both human and animal_, he guessed, "_might be close by, observing our arrival_."

He had heard that cannibals lived in these parts, and the pirate shuddered once, a foreboding glazing his eyes for just a moment. A fragrance came to him then, distracting him, and he knew that flowers and mango trees grew further in. The scent became rancid quickly, due to the curse, but he still swallowed hungrily. He growled, then, remembering his current curse-ly state. More determined than ever before to see to his quest and free himself of the blasted bugger, he shoved his phantom hunger down and locked it up tight.

"_Need t'be vigilant, mate_," he said to himself, "_Not too much longer and we'll all be dinin' on…_" but he hesitated slightly to even mention his first meal once he became non-eternal again, his eyes giving a sideways glance to Leonardo and his brothers.

Jack wasn't stupid. He knew the moment they all became mortal once more, his men would have a hunger to rival even the curse, and then they would all see just how fast these ninja turtles can be, if their training included dodging pistol shot. Instinctively, he fingered his gun and cutlass, both sheathed into his bandolier. Sparrow knew he would most likely employ both during this part of the trip, turtle dinner or no, given the inhospitable nature that was South America. Though the pirate captain didn't want another fight - as he had more important problems to worry about - he wasn't as concerned as he would be normally.

"_At least the curse has given us tha'much," _he said to himself.

Curiously, he looked at his compass again and saw how it held its position, south-southwest from where he stood. It held fast and an overwhelming sense of completion came over him. He smiled. This was it, the last leg of his journey, where he would find the Aztecs. He was quite certain, for the feeling was intense. He nodded once, determined that nothing would prevent him from his goal.

He gave his weapon an affectionate pat and took in a deep, cleansing breath of paradise – and scowled when it, too, soured on his tongue. He rubbed his tongue distastefully against the roof of his mouth, to rid it of its unpleasantness, and sighed. He took another breath, smiled, and turned to face his men and the turtles, "As much as I enjoys the sea, mates," and everyone turned to look at him, Jack's arms spread wide in welcoming, "Ev'ry now and then, tis good to be on land." He chuckled in mock merriment.

A few ayes uttered in reply and then Jack addressed his men again, "An' once this curse is no longer our problem, I'm takin' _food_ and _drink_, no matter… WHO serves it!" The ayes were loud and frenzied, reacting to their captain's pep talk, the crews' voices resonating over the beach. When they calmed again, Sparrow ordered, "Okay, laddies, we 'ave much work t'do, so let's get t'unloadin' tha' boat."

The men went to task, removing the supplies from the boat for their trek inland. The turtles helped, with exception to Michelangelo, who seemed reluctant to leave the beach.

Quite content to stay where he was, Mikey dug his toes into the sand. He stared out across the sea towards the Black Pearl, anchored several hundred yards from shore. If asked, he would be the first to admit reluctance to set sail with her again. He so missed standing on firm ground, even though a sandy beach was anything but firm, but it sure beat the ever-moving deck of a ship at sea. Yet, strangely enough – just as Donnie said he would – Mikey still felt a weird sense of movement, a sort of phantom memory of being at sea for so long. And it was the constant motion of the ship, the undulating and never-ending rise and fall of the deck that had finally convinced Michelangelo he would not make a good pirate. He truly hoped to get his land legs back, again - again just as Don had said he would - because if he didn't stop feeling as if he was reeling and rolling, the thought of walking didn't appeal to him. Ninja or not, Mike felt completely off-balanced. He shook his head and then turned to join his brothers in unloading the boats.

**xxxxx**

Once the supplies and the treasure were out of the boats and secured on shore, the men began arguing about how best to get the chest through the jungle. They discussed it with much energy, their voices rising higher and more pronounced as each idea met the doom of Jack Sparrow's critical rejection. The turtles resigned themselves to just watching the debate, with Donatello standing off to one side, listening to the lively discussion, quietly thinking to himself.

_They couldn't carry it_, he reasoned, _the chest is far too heavy for that, not knowing how far we have to go, although they could do it if pressed. _He considered the crew, hmm-ing to himself, _There are, after all, enough men. Still, it would be better if…_

He heard someone mentioned strapping logs together and then tying the extra rope to the front to use in pulling the makeshift platform through the jungle.

Donatello smiled, rather amused and somewhat impressed with the suggestion. He still said nothing, but watched and listened.

There was a brief debate as to which direction to strap the logs, to which Gibbs suggested, "I tell ya, ya'll have a stronger base if ye tie the blimey logs t'gether, one in front of the other and so on, and pulls it, like a sled!" His voice pitched slightly, a sure sign that the pirate's patience had worn thin.

"Nay, that'll just pile up sand, like a rake. We should roll it along," challenged someone else, "by puttin' the chest on top o' th'logs an' walk it. We brings along a couple o'extra logs, t'put down in th'front, and then we push and roll the chest forwards over it. It'll take less work."

"That'd take too much time. An, besides…" Gibbs declared, arms flung wide in frustration, "We're on sand, th'weight o'th'chest alone will bog it all down, and then we'll be STUCK!"

Donatello stood there, listening, waiting for someone to come up with the right idea. He gave as much time for the pirates to discuss the issue as his patience allowed.

Finally, the men began to argue louder amongst themselves, shouting and yelling out ideas, with fists raised, weapons drawn, all ready to turn the discussion into an all-out brawl.

_Well, so much for not interfering…_ and that was when Don quietly interrupted loudly, in order for the men to hear him, "**Actually, the first idea is half right**."

A sudden quiet fell over the rowdy crowd of buccaneers.

"What? Are ye daft?" Jack exclaimed and whirled around on the turtle, "The logs will get bogged down, just as Gibbs said. It won't get us very far!"

Don could tell by the captain's flushed expression that the curse was working on him, as well as Gibbs, enticing the pirate to an angry state.

"No, we don't strap a bunch together, one in front of the other. We take just two and create runners, like a sled, then add logs on top, crossways and above the sand, to act as a platform for the chest. We have the tools to do it. If we use hatchets to score the undersides of the runners, so they're narrower, they'll cut through the sand as they would on snow. It'll be easier and with the least resistance. We have to make sure that the rails are wide enough apart to hold the chest, of course, and we don't have to strap them, either, as the weight of the chest will keep the base in place. Or, if you prefer, we could tie the logs together using rope made from palm fronds. There're plenty of palm trees, after all, and the fronds are of good, sturdy material." Don added, "Then, we take the rope we used to get the longboat to shore as pulls for the sled."

Jack thought about the turtle's idea and slowly, he smiled. He grinned broadly, "I likes the way ya thinks, Donatello! You are an asset, Messdeck Lawyer or no!" and he slapped the terrapin on his shell, announcing, "Okay, men, you heard the beast! Get t'cuttin' down those trees!"

Soon, the crew went to work, chopping down as many of the palm trees as they could to make the sled. As each tree collapsed to the beach, a second team came around to clean it of its frond-laden crown. Sparrow preferred tying the logs together, so he had his men took the fronds and cut them into strips, braiding them in sets of three and then braiding those sets to make a series of rope. Mike helped with that, while Raphael assisted with chopping down the needed trees. Fortunately, there were plenty of trees and, therefore, plenty of fronds, so they had a lot of material to work with.

For most of the day, the men and turtles toiled. Leo helped to whittle the underside of the 'rails' to a sharpened edge and when he was done, he used Donnie's measurements to notch the tops. Sparrow had decided he preferred the logs imbedded into the rails, so that the logs lying across them would have a permanent fit. They then used the braided fronds to tie the logs to the rails, securing them.

However, when it came time to decide how best to tie the pulling ropes to the sled it created another argument…

"Look, we're losing time, arguin'! Jus'tie th' bloody rope to th' front and be done with it!" Jack exclaimed, rolling his eyes in impatience.

"No, if we do that," Don disagreed, "we could pull the log right out of its notches."

"So…" Jack swaggered his head, "how SHOULD we do it, Turtle?"

"If we make a horizontal cut in the back end of each rail and run the rope through each, and then corkscrew towards the front around both rails, we'll have greater leverage to pull the sled," reasoned Don, "without the fear of pulling the whole contraption apart. However," and Don raised one eye ridge, "it would be prudent if we start the sled on more stable ground, like packed dirt, rather than on sand. This will mean, of course, that we will have to cut a path from where the jungle starts, until we find a more compact surface."

A rather disgruntled voice called up from behind Donatello, "I thought you said that this platform of yours will work on sand."

"I've given some consideration to that, Miss Swann," Don replied, turning to face the woman, who stood a few feet away with her hands on her hips, as if in challenge, "and I'd rather NOT take a chance that I could be…wrong. We already know that with enough men helping, we can lift the chest well enough, so if we can 'jump start' this sled on good ground, then it's all the better, don't you think?"

"Well, I guess," Elizabeth said reluctantly, "That would be better, yes. But, it's getting rather late to start, don't you think?" She looked towards the west, her face radiating an orange-ish glow from the near setting sun.

"Yes, Captain," Will agreed, "I think we should make camp here, rather than venture into an unknown jungle at night. I think it's best we start fresh tomorrow!"

"Indeed, even though there be nothin' in there that can harm ye? And, what about th'next night, if we don't find th'Aztecs tomorrow?"

"I sides with the whelp!" called out one crewman, as the rest gave their ayes of approval, "At least tomorrow we can send scouts ahead, to find a good place to camp – for the night – if, that is, we don't find these Aztecs first!"

"So be it, Mr. GIBBS!" Jack snorted in disappointment, "We camp. However, at first light, we leave, an' we don't waste a minute arguin' about it." Then Jack turned heel and walked away, muttering and complaining to himself. It was obvious to everyone that the captain was anxious to be done with his quest. As to why he was in such a hurry, no one knew, not for sure anyway.

As Mikey basked in the late afternoon sun, surprised at how un-sore his muscles were (probably the curse at work, he thought), he was just beginning to feel normal again. Well, at least feeling as if he wasn't moving all the time. Occasionally, he would look over at the jungle and wonder what their next adventure would be like. He smiled, thinking about how cool it was going to be to hack through the dense underbrush, acting the part of explorers in a new land. Thoughts of Indiana Jones filled his head. The more he thought about it, the more excited he got, until…slowly, his smile suddenly disappeared.

With concern edging his voice, Mikey sat down on the sand and turned to his brother in purple, "Hey, Donnie, what…ah…kind of animals are there in that jungle?"

"Oh, a great many, if I'm correct about our location." Don replied easily, lying on his side.

"And…where would that 'location' be, oh mighty brain," Raphael asked, flopping down next to him, "'Cuz I've been wonderin' where exactly we are."

Don smiled, "Well, I think we're pretty close to the northern side of South America or somewhere along the southernmost end of Central America, or…_somewhere_ far from where we started…at least."

"You aren't sure?" Raphael stared incredulously at his genius brother.

Don grinned, "Considering Sparrow's very strange compass, Raph, we could be in Timbuktu, for all I know."

Leonardo joined the three-some and sat down, "Couldn't the constellations last night tell you where we are?"

"Leo, I studied them for a long time and all it told me is that we're still in the Caribbean," Don said, "Yes, given the Pearl's southwesterly direction, it is safe to say that we were heading towards South America, but this could be an island – a very big island, or possibly Panama, or Columbia, or Venezuela. The best I can offer is what I just said. Northern part of South America or southern Central America along its eastern side."

"So…ah…other than - gators, like what we encountered on that island, what other kind of animals can we expect to see…in there?" Mike asked again, hooking a thumb towards the jungle.

"Caiman, Mike, but, for another - snakes…"

"SNAKES?" Mike sat up instantly, his eyes wide with worry.

"Um, yeah, South America has the world's largest variety of snakes, Mike," Don rolled onto his stomach and looked at his baby brother curiously, his elbow buried in the sand, his head nestled on top his fists, "The most frequently seen are the green anaconda and boa constrictor." Don smiled, apparently very interested and eager to explore said jungle.

"Hey, aren't those the really big ones that can eat a man whole?"

"**Raph**, you'renothelpinghere!" Mike snapped hurriedly. His eyes were now wider with even more worry. He wasn't the least bit amused.

Raphael chuckled.

"Well, yeah, they are big and some can get big enough to eat a man," Donnie admitted, "but it has to be a very big snake and be very hungry to have any interest. Usually, when they encounter people, they just slither away, unless they don't have any fear. Considering this particular timeline, though," Don mused, "I don't' think civilization has encroached enough to impress the wildlife to stay away from humans."

"But…wh…what about TURTLES, such as big, bi-pedal; the 'not your garden variety' type?" Mike was nearly hyperventilating now.

"Mike, ya don't have to worry about it, I don't think yer on their menu."

"Easy for you to say, RAPH! You don't have one wrapped around you YET!" Mike shot back quickly, almost hyperventilating.

"So, where would we find them," Leo asked softly, adding his voice to the discussion.

Don shook his head, hearing the concern in his big brother's words, "You, too?"

"Well, I just…want to be prepared, that's all."

Raph smirked, "Yeah, fearless, I got yer number."

"I JUST WANT TO BE PREPARED, OKAY?" Leo snapped, and then quickly explained, "That's what 'fearless…_leaders'_ do, **prepare**!" He gave a pointed look at his brother in red before addressing the one in purple, "So, Don, how 'bout it, where exactly do these – anacondas - live?"

Donatello did his best not to smile, but he couldn't help it, one managed to slip through. One warning look from Leo, though, brushed it way, and then Don said, "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm just as – interested – in keeping myself in one piece as you are. Keep in mind, we're cursed, okay? We can't die, but…to find myself in the grips of one of those very, large snakes…" He shook his head, "Whooo boy…"

"And you're not helping either, DONNIE!"

"…kind of unnerves me, too, Mikey." Don added softly as he grinned.

"Yeah, and like you said, especially since we can't DIE!" Mike threw his hands up in the air and rolled over onto his back, "I mean, think about it, bros," he suddenly hugged himself and gulped, "It's got you in its grip," he tightened his arms around himself, eyes bugging out, his voice sounding strangled, "and he coils his snaky body around you, getting tighter and tighter and tighter, but yer still 'alive' and then he EATS YOU WHOLE! Next thing you know, you're laying there inside its belly, aware of everything, but you can't see anything at all because it's all dark and slimy and squirmy…" Suddenly, Mike yelped as Raphael slapped him upside the head, "HEY, what was THAT for?"

"Thanks a lot, dimwit, now ya've given me the creeps!"

"Ooo, ooo…and I bet there'll be lots o' big BUGS in that jungle, too, Raphie!" Mike sing-songed, wagging his head in time with his diddy.

"Not helping, BRO!" Raph tried to slap his brother again, but this time Mike rolled beyond Raphael's reach, sticking out his tongue as he did.

"Okay, back to my question...about habitat."

"Okay, Leo, here are the stats. Anacondas prefer fresh water, while boa constrictors live either in trees or underground."

"So if we stay away from rivers, trees, and don't go diggin' anywhere…" Raphael asked.

"We'll be safe." Don smiled.

"Yeah, we're dead." Mike sighed and gave a wary look back at the overgrown jungle. He looked forlornly out at the Pearl floating in the bay, "It makes being a pirate all the more attractive, now, know what I mean?"

"Unless ya meets up with the Kraken, lads, and then ye'll be wish'n fer that snake!" Gibbs quipped softly, passing the quartet, carrying an armful of wood. As he headed towards the group of men, now crowding around a newly made campfire, and which grew bright against the ever encroaching dark, Gibbs called back as an afterthought, "An ye might wants t'gather 'round that bit o'flame here," he inclined his head towards the campfire, "and not be so close to that jungle, since it's fire that'll keep them slimy snakes from gettin' ya!"

"AHHHHHH…" In a flash, both Raph and Mike were up and running, beating not only Leo and Don to the campfire, but Joshamee Gibbs, too.

XXXXXX

**TBC**

"


	30. Follow The Yellow Brick Road

_**Disclaimer: **__Well, it HAS been a long time since I last added to this story. I also want to apologize to those readers who have been faithfully following along. I ran out of steam and my muses abandoned me. Real life sometimes comes crashing through the haze of creative writing. That is my excuse and I am sticking with it! :0)_

_Anyway, this is not a gut-buster or an edge-of-your-seat chapter, but I hope it segues into what will be the homestretch of this story. I will not say how many chapters I have left, since I never know what my muses have in store for any story. Nevertheless, I am hoping to finish this story quickly enough. However, I want to do justice to it, as well, which is why it has taken me so long to get back to it. As I've stated before, I do not write just to write. I want each chapter to matter. _

_With that said, I want to offer a premature thank you to anyone glancing my way._

_Now, on to the story, such as it is!_

_***_

**Chapter 30 – Follow the Yellow Brick Road **

Shortly after the pirates and turtles entered the jungle, Jack found a natural trail.

Initially, it was wide enough to allow passage for the sled, but eventually the jungle growth grew too thick. That was when Sparrow ordered his men take up swords and machetes.

It didn't take too long before a path of chopped up foliage and felled small trees greeted the men assigned to pushing the sled. It was easy going for a while.

However, it didn't take long before the jungle proved even those implements ineffective. As the trees grew denser and became virtually impassable, the men switched to using axes.

Teaming up in pairs, several worked simultaneously - depending on how many trees blocked their way. Overall, they created quite a ruckus. The explosive sound of trees crashing through the rainforest, the terrified squawks and screams of displaced creatures, created a startling cacophony of noise that made Jack cringe. He was certain that 'someone' would hear them. He kept a wary watch on the jungle surrounding the group, a hand resting on the hilt of his pistol. Although he would instinctively defend himself, even though the curse pretty well protected him, he still preferred talking his way out of trouble.

As his men continued with their symphony of axes against stubborn wood, Jack mouthed a sentence in Aztec, one that supposedly would communicate his desire. He had learned it from a good friend of his…well, someone who used to be a good friend, anyway. She was as old as the sea itself and knew more things about the world than she was willing to share, but she did share the all-important sentence.

Jack Sparrow just hoped she had told him the right one.

Nevertheless, it was imperative to find the Aztecs, no matter how much noise his men had to make in the process. Otherwise, they may as well turn around and go back to the ship.

Although felling most of the trees took a mere ten minutes, other times a half hour would pass before a particular tree would fall. When they encountered mahogany, that time almost doubled.

In any event, after six hours of traipsing through the jungle, they covered less than two miles into what would one day be Colombia.

As closely as the trees grew at their crown, they formed a tightly woven canopy high above, as well. Overlapping, thickly leafed branches made it near impossible for sunlight to permeate the jungle below. It created an almost twilight environment at ground level in fact.

However, Jack and his men came well prepared.

When their way proved too dark to see by natural light, they took up torches they had brought along and lit them. Soon, flickering tongues of yellow flame chased back the premature night and illuminating their path. It would have been a pleasant walk, too, as walks go in an uncharted jungle…that is, if not for the rain.

The storm had swept in just after the crew of men and mutant turtles began their trek. Fortunately, for them, the canopy above acted like an umbrella and kept the rainfall from becoming an outright downpour. It made it possible for the torches to stay light, too.

Just the same, the rain found ways to the men and four turtles.

Branches and trunks became water highways. Rain dripped off trees and limbs like eager faucets, or wicked down trunks to collect in pools at their base. Because the ground was already over saturated from normal precipitation, the trees didn't have to 'dig deep' for nourishment. Consequently, surface roots littered the forest floor. Unfortunately, they hid beneath the pools of collected rainwater and the ground could not absorb fast enough. More times than not, they caught the sled and tripped many of the men – and one turtle.

"Hey, would ya watch where yer goin?"

"How can I see where I'm goin' when my going s'under water?"

"Well, Raphael, assume there's somethin' in th'way."

"If I was a fish, Mr. Gibbs, I would, but I'm not."

"Yer a'reptile."

"Yer point?"

"Forget it. Just make sure if ya trip again, ya don't step on me heels. Yer one heavy turtle."

"I'll make sure I land on yer back, then. Will that do?"

"Cheeky turtle."

"Whiney pirate."

Whenever they stopped to clear yet another impenetrable barrier of trees, those with sled-pushing duties took a rest, not that they needed rest, but – curse or no – the job _was_ a boring one.

While waiting for the path-makers to finish their work, some men took up errant pieces of wood lying along the jungle floor. With knife in hand, they worked at freeing whatever shape they had imagined from the kindling.

Other pirates played games of chance, using ivory dice they had brought with them. Winners cheered, while losers grumbled unhappily.

Another group engaged in knife-throwing contests. When they missed the mark and, instead, impaled one of their mates, a loud squabbling ensued between them. Of course, Jack Sparrow reminded them of where they were.

"Are ye daff? We're in hostile terri'try, mates. Curse or no, we needn't t'make enemies TOO soon AN' before we rid ourselves of th'bloody curse. Savvy?"

His admonition did well to curb the boisterous enthusiasms and complaints, but it did little to stop their play.

As for Elizabeth and Will, they kept to themselves primarily, yet were acutely mindful of where they were and with whom they kept company.

Draping one arm around his beloved's shoulders, Will scanned the shadows watchfully, while Elizabeth looked warily between the pirates and turtles.

The girl still did not like these strange creatures. She thought she had seen everything, with Barbossa and his men in skeleton form. At the very least, that experience should have prepared her for such a sight as walking, talking, two-legged, man-sized turtles, but it did not. For a moment, she thought she would prefer dealing with Jack's old nemesis – or even Davy Jones himself, than dally with the unnatural and almost perverse quartet of weapons-wielding reptiles.

As they began moving again through the jungle, a sudden, appetizing thought occurred to Elizabeth. Maybe, when they were free of the curse, she could convince Jack to do with the turtles as the men had earlier suggested – and out of earshot of said topic. A pot of salamagundi stew sure sounded good to her right now. The more Elizabeth considered it, the more her hunger grew, until just looking at them made her mouth water. She was certain the Aztecs would find such a delicacy as turtle stew just as tasty. Maybe they would even reward them with provisions for the trip back to the ship and Port Royal. That is, IF she were allowed to go back home. Given the nastiness of her last encounter with er ex-fiancé', Commodore Norrington, and the British fleet, it was probably a moot point, anyway.

Nonetheless, Elizabeth decided that as soon as she could and with Leonardo and his brothers out of hearing range, she would make her suggestion to the captain. No doubt, she would have the support of his crew, as well. They would be famished for food anyway, might as well take advantage of it!

The more she thought about a pot filled with succulent turtle meat, the more the curse intensified her appetite.

Elizabeth Swan licked her lips hungrily.

While he waited for the pirates to clear a path, Leonardo stood guard while his brothers relaxed nearby. He scanned the jungle intently, turning in place, thoroughly attune to the fact that despite the curse, there were still dangers to consider. His life-long relationship with shadows and things moving in the dark made him perceptibly aware of his environment. Leonardo's ninja skills were on high alert.

Suddenly, an unsettled feeling came over him. He scanned the deep dark of the surrounding shadow rich jungle, but saw nothing alarming. As he completed his second turn around, he caught sight of Elizabeth, standing with Will Turner, fifty feet away. He noticed how Miss Swan kept looking at him, and then at his brothers, as if sizing them up. Her expression seemed intense, almost hungry. It sent warning shivers through Leonardo's shell. Yes, he knew she still didn't trust him. He didn't really blame her, not really, but there was something in the way she _looked_ at him. It matched the pirates' expression the first time Leo and his brothers boarded the Black Pearl. It was a hungry, famished, and knowing look.

Leo did not like that look.

Yet, he had more important matters with which to concern himself. Donnie had told him earlier that the Aztecs were quite advanced, or had been, for their time. They knew things that modern technology had proven. They made a calendar that accurately timed the seasons and the days per year. They were an amazing group of people who sadly died out, but then they were bloodthirsty, so maybe it was just as well.

With one sword at the ready, he waited, prepared. He knew that the curse should protect him and his brothers. After all, the experience with the pyroclastic flow from the island's explosion proved that. Yet, the men sounded anxious, almost from the moment they had entered the rainforest. It worried Leonardo. Their palatable fear told him that these Aztecs were not the friendly type and maybe they knew ways around the curse that could cause them much harm.

Leo considered Don's comment about the Aztec's bloodthirsty culture. Since they were responsible for the curse, it went without discussion that they could do other supernatural things, too.

Of course, Leonardo could only imagine how they would react to four bipedal sentient mutant turtles - and armed ones at that. Nervously, he gulped, which annoyed him, since he rarely if ever felt nervous. He was, after all, a ninja master, and ninja never got scared…right?

Yet, the more Leonardo thought about the Aztecs and imagined what else they could do, the more that fear grew. Maybe it was the curse. Maybe the curse acted like yeast, taking whatever emotion one was feeling and multiplying. Greed, lust, hunger; all of it seemed to intoxicate him, almost overwhelming him. If not for his training in self-control, Leo was certain he would have _lost_ control long before now.

In that moment, Leonardo wished that Master Splinter were here to advise him.


End file.
